Modern-Recording-1981-05.pdf - World Radio History

VOL. 6 NO. 8

MAY 1Q81

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Two delays, one price. Since flanging and doubling are important effects derived from time delay. we put them both in a single. cost -effective unit and called it the Flanger /Doubler. As a flanger. the MXR FlangeriDoubler can add a variety of tonal colors and vibratos. from the subtle to the bizarre. As a doubler. it can thicken textures. broaden stereo images.. make a single instrument or voice sound like many. and create spatial illusions. Many time delay devices offer a time delay range that is enormous but impractical for certain applications. You end up paying for effects that are either inaudible. distorted. or extremely difficult to manage in performance. By incorporating a concentrated time delay range of .25 to 5 milliseconds in its flanging mode and 17.5 to 70 milliseconds in its doubling mode. and by providing a variable sweep speed of .03 to 20 Hz. we've enabled the Flanger /Doubler to offer. without unnecessary expense. a tremendous range of time delay effects that are clean. musical. and expressive. With the MXR Flanger Doubler. you can create everything from fast frenetic quivers to slow pulsating throbs. including hard reverb and numerous chorus sounds. without sacrificing sonic integrity.

The Flanger /Doubler switches easily between flanging and doubling modes and provides presetting and LED monitoring of sweep speed and range. so musicians no longer have to hunt for correct flanging and doubling settings during performance. And the MXR Flanger/ Doubler is an economical and effective way for engineers to free other delay devices (such as a Digital Delay) for longer time delay functions. The Flanger /Doubler is designed for use in the studio and on stage. with line or instrument levels. Rugged construction and an optional road case enable it to readily handle the punishments of the road.

Like all MXR products. the Flanger 'Doubler has been designed as a practical tool for both musicians and engineers. It has been built with the highest -quality materials and the most advanced American musical technology in order to provide creative artists with the freedom to make original and imaginative statements in todays electronic music. See your MXR dealer. MXR Innovations. Inc., 740 Driving Park Ave.. Rochester. New York 14613. (716) 254 -2910

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Studiomixer If you plan to make it BIG

A performer or recordist who doesn't have visions of progressing musically and creatively is certainly an exception to the way most musical artists think. The constant self improvement realized through hard work is normally directed toward more than just the satis- faction of being good. Most music people want to make it to the BIG TIME.

If you fit into this category, we would like to help. Recording is the medium which is going to get you there, and we are the most innovative people in the recording business today. We're STUDIOMIXER and our Totally Modular approach to mixing console design is revolutionizing the mixer business.

Before now, an expandable mixer meant adding input channels on to it. Most of the time, these input channel expansions were clumsy attempts, resulting in bolt -on input channel sections, bulky external cables, or even hand wiring. And the consideration of output expansion? Perish the thought. But the STUDIO - MIXER Totally Modular concept is a milestone in mixing console design.

STUDIOMIXER allows the user to start out with as few input and output channels as are required (even just one of each) and grow from the beginning ... up

to 35 input, 8 tape output, 4 monitor, 2 effects, and Left and Right master outputs. Did we say Grow? All the STUDIOMIXER owner needs to do to effect this expansion is to purchase an additional module(s) of his, choice when his musical and financial requirements dictate. A blank module is removed from the Main- frame and the new module is plugged in. All of this requires no soldering and takes about five minutes. Need we point out the obvious service advantages?

When you see and listen to our console, we think you'll agree that STUDIOMIXER has the highest performance specifications of any mixer in (and many far above) its price class ... and you will be pleasantly surprised by its low cost,.

Think about the Totally Modular STUDIOMIXER before you contemplate buying anything else. It is a choice which will stay with you for years, growing when you grow. And it will save you money by relie- ving you from the hassle of trying to dump your no longer adequate old mixer for one with the expanded capabilities and quality already built into STUDIO - MIXER. With STUDIOMIXER we certainly won't stop you from making it to the BIG TIME!

For the name of your closest Studiomixer dealer, or for descriptive literature and specifications on our products, please write to Craig Bullington, National Sales Manager, Amerimex Co., Inc., PO Box 55, Atwood, California, 92601.

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Understanding Technology Series

Subject: Total Percussion for Recording, Performing and Composing

TR-808

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Writing Because the TR -808 is completely programmable, the rhythm selection is not limited to factory presets. Any rhythm pattern can be easily written into the TR -808 digital memory, even odd time signatures like 5/4 and 7/8.

The programming is done in real time using the step method we pioneered with our BOSS Dr. Rhythm. How- ever, the number of steps is variable so that rhythms can be programmed with as small a division as 32nd notes,

The Roland TR -808 will undoubtedly become the standard for rhythm machines of the future because does what no rhythm machine of the past has ever done. Not only does the TR -808 allow programming of individual rhythm patterns, it can also program the entire percussion track of a song from beginning to end, complete with breaks. rolls, literally anything you

lrint , -.f

Playing A total of 32 different rhythm patterns can be written into the TR -808. Rhythms are played by selecting one of the 16 switches along the bottom of the front panel. These can he switched while a rhythm is playing to change from a straight beat to a fill, or another rhythm.

LEDs indicate which rhythm is playing, and a Prescale feature makes sure all rhythms are in time with each other, even while switching between odd and even time signatures.

Composing A feature that sets the TR -808 apart from any other rhythm device is its allility to record an entire composition's percussion score, which we call Composing the Rhythm Track. This is accomplished in exactly the same way as the unit is played, by switching from one rhythm to another, only this is done while in a Compose.Mode. When the song is over and you switch from Compose to Play, every change has been recorded: every fill, straight beat and break. up to 768 measures in length.

Ii=2 Roland

The Voices The eleven instrument voices of the TR -808 inch Irle bass and snare drums, three toms, three cymbal voices. I and claps and more. Roland's exclusive programmable accents give additional life to any programmed rhythm.

Each voice has its own level control for total mix, and many of the voices have timbre, tuning and decay controls. If

that's not enough control. each voice has its own output jack so it can he processed however you like.

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4YÀocWN f IING

gce !wIIc THE FEATURES

MULTI -TRACK MAGIC: CREATIVE MULTI -TRACK RECORDING By Craig Anderton Many home recordists have awakened to a demoralizing fact of life: their ATA musical dreams far exceed their finan- is %V

%

cial capabilities. Well, 4- trackers, :, take heart! Swami Anderton shows you that better use of imagination, and equipment on hand, can make your recording day a lot brighter at no cost to you.

40

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LEON RUSSELL "LIVE!" By Bob Allen From his start in Jerry Lee Lewis' road band in the early 1960's, Leon Russell has been associated with a diverse cross section of popular music. On tour with The Newgrass Revival, Russell talked with MR &M about his roles in the industry, the eleven studios he's built and his new audio /video mobile setup.

48

PROFILE: PHIL COLLINS By David Fricke As lead singer and drummer extraordinaire with the group Genesis, Phil Collins established quite a name for himself. As a founding member of Brand X, Collins expanded this reputation. Now with his first solo LP, Face Value, Collins takes that reputation one step further.

58

COMING NEXT ISSUE! A Session with Rick Wakeman Profile: Ian Stewart Practical Electrical, Part Ill

Cover Photo: Melodie McGuire Leon Russell Photos: Melodie McGuire Mobile Photos: Courtesy of Paradise Video Phil Collins Photos: Courtesy of Atlantic Records

Modern Recording & Music (ISSN 0273 -8511) is published monthly by Cowan Publishing Corp., 14 Vanderventer Ave., Port Washington. N.Y. 11050. Design and contents are copyright 1981 by Cowan Publishing Corp.. and must not be reproduced in any manner except by permission of the publisher. Second class postage paid at Port Washington, New York. and at additional mailing offices. Subscription rates: $14.00 for 12 issues: $26.00 for 24 issues. Add $3.00 per year for subscriptions outside of U.S. Subscrip. lions must be paid in American currency. Postmaster: Send Form 3579 to Modern Recording & Music, Cowan Publishing Corp.. 14 Vanderventer Ave.. Port Washington, N.Y. 11050.

MAY 1981

VOL. 6 NO. 8

THE STAPLES

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 4

TALKBACK nn The technical Q & A scene. 22

THE PRODUCT SCENE 32 By Norman Eisenberg

The notable and the new, with a comment on those "tiny tapers," among others things.

MUSICAL NEWSICALS By Fred Ridder New products for the musician.

NOTES By Craig Anderton The Carrotron C920B1 Noise Fader

36

62

AMBIENT SOUND 70 By Len Feldman

The 1981 Winter CES in Las Vegas: some picks, pans and predications. Plus some thoughts on how nineteenth century thought is alive and well in twentieth century technology.

LAB REPORT By Norman Eisenberg and Len Feldman Bang & Olufsen Beocord 8000 Cassette Recorder SAE P250 Power Amplifier Soundcraftsmen TG2245 Graphic Equalizer

72

HANDS -ON REPORT By Jim Ford and John Murphy 82 DMI /Kelsey Pro -4/3 Series Mixing Board

GROOVE VIEWS 88 Reviews of albums by The Boomtown Rats, Jackson Browne, Carole King, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Count Basie, J.J. Johnson, Dexter Gordon and Luciano Pavarotti.

ADVERTISER'S INDEX 108

3



/SCORN ACCORDING

Eff RAMC

AM/- Editor /PuDIlsrier

PAM HIGHTON Managing Editor

GENE SCARAMELLINO Assistant Editor

NORMAN EISENBERG LEONARD FELDMAN

JIM FORD JOHN MURPHY

BRIAN ROTH Technical Editors

CRAIG ANDERTON ROBERT ANGUS NAT HENTOFF

DAVID MOYSSIADIS FRED RIDDER PETER WEISS

Contributing Editors MIKE DEREVLANY

ROBERT HENSCHEN JOE KLEE

ALLAN KOZINN STEVE ROW

RUSSELL SHAW JEFF TAMARKIN Music Reviewers

LORI RESSA Production Supervisor

SUSAN L. KRUPP Production Assistant

BILL TRAVIS Art Director

KAREN JENSEN -RICHARDS Associate Art Director

ELIZABETH BAILE Designer

JANET KURTZ Circulation Manager

JANICE KERNER Advertising Assistant

BILL SLAPIN West Coast

Advertising Representative MYLES GROSSMAN Associate Publisher Advertising Director

Editorial and Executive Offices Modern Recording & Music 14 Vanderventer Ave. Port Washington, N.Y. 11050 516-883-6200

Cowan Publishing Corp., Richard A. Cowan, Chair- man of the Board & President; Cary L. Cowan, Vice President; Jack N. Schneider, Vice President, Mar- keting; Marc L. Gilman, Credit Manager; Amy C. Gilman, Secretary/Treasurer; Sanford R. Cowan, Founder & President Emeritus.

Editorial contributions should be addressed to The Editor, Modern Recording & Music, 14 Vander - venter Ave., Port Washington, N.Y. 11050. Unsoli- cited manuscripts will be treated with care and must be accompanied by return postage.

4

ri; tb0I0G4 The Ultimate Limiter Letter

What follows is a letter from Craig Anderton which he believes should answer many questions, some still unborn, on the article appearing in the November 1979 issue of Modern Recording and Music on PAIA's Dual Limiter.

Those readers who follow the letters section of MR &M are aware that there is a controversy as to whether the limiter design in the 11/79 issue of MR &M distorts or not. Some people say it works fine, while others complain of distortion so severe that they find the unit unusable. In a previous issue, I mentioned that this was probably due to the application -if the limiter was used just to catch spikes and transients, the distortion would not be objectionable; but if it was used to do heavy limiting with program material, problems could arise.

Well, it appears that the reason why most readers built the thing was to do heavy limiting with program material...so I went back to the drawing board to see if I could come up with a modification that would satisfy these people. Here's the solution: change C11 /C12 to 100 uF and Rl /R2 to 33 Ohms. The limiter will now have a decay time of 1 second, more than enough to elminate any buzzing or distortion; the tradeoff for this lack of distortion is that the attack time is now 3 ms (003. seconds) instead of 1 ms (fortunately this makes little -if any -difference in sound quality). Incidentally, PAIA Electronics is sending a post card to all registered limiter owners informing them of this modification.

For those who just want a non -distorting limiter, perform the above changes and all will be well. If you'd like to know the reasoning behind these changes, read on.

The limiter circuitry performs its gain reduction by pumping a charge into C11 /C12 until the output is reduced to the point specified by the limit control. If the input signal drops below the level specified by the limit control, the charge on C 11/C12 leaks off through a 10 k resistor inside the 570 that connects to pins 1

and 16. In the limiter circuit, the attack time (charging time) of C1 1/C12 is determined by Rl /R2, which is 100 Ohms. Charging a 10 uF capacitor (Cll /C12) through a 100 Ohm resistor gives an attack time of 1 millisecond; discharging the same capacitor through a 10k resistor gives a decay time of 100 ms...and here is where the problem lies, since this decay time is not always sufficient to fully filter the audio signal appearing across C11 /C12 into a nice, smooth DC voltage. Any audio voltages appearing at these capacitors modulate the limiter, thereby creating buzzing and distortion with certain types of input signals.

The same type of problem can occur with envelope followers, noise reduction units, compressors, and any other unit that depends on rectifying an AC signal and using the resulting DC signal to control something like a VCA or VCF. While increasing the filter cap value to 100 uF just about eliminates any audio rip- ple by increasing the decay time to 1 second, the attack time becomes slower as well. For this reason, we have to lower Rl /R2 to 33 Ohms, yielding an attack time of 3 ms. Lowering these re-

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sistors to 10 Ohms could give a 1 ms attack time, but then we would be asking Ql and Q2 to deliver lots of current when C11/C12 are fully discharged. Although 3 ms isn't as nice a spec as 1 ms, in actual practice I have not found a 3 ms attack time to be at all objectionable.

The fact that both the attack and decay times of the 570 are interdepen- dent is the source of our particular problem. Fortunately, Signetics also recog- nizes that this is a problem, and has designed an improved compander called the 572. The 572 no longer has the on- board op amp of the 570, but in return you have individually programmable attack and decay times...this means that you can have a very fast attack time and a very slow decay time, which is the optimum choice for a limiter. With the 570, it's much harder to have your cake and eat it too -although the modification mentioned above comes close. Un- fortunately, the 572 is not widely available, nor is it pin compatible with the 570. So, don't expect to just substitute one chip for the other; a new limiter design would be required.

Most of you are aware that I don't publish an article until the unit in ques-

tion has been used extensively in my own applications (the Hot Springs reverb, for example, was in use in my studio for over two years before it appeared in print), so it's fair to ask how come I didn't come up with this modification earlier. At the risk of making ex- cuses, the problem was that I finished the limiter project just before I had to move and tear down my four track studio. I had built the limiter for a specific purpose -catching transients from electronic drums and limiting the resonance peaks of synthesizer filters - which meant that I never really got a chance to put complex sounds through the thing. The limiter worked fine for the applications I was using it for, it looked just great on a scope, and so I figured everything was all right. The initial reaction to the project was also highly favorable and so it never really occurred to me that there might be the need for a modification to the basic design.

Eventually, I got settled into my new place, but I was without a studio for about a year and a half as I went about the business of building my new super - duper mixing board, cutting cables, tweaking the tape deck, and the like.

About the same time I got the studio up and running, people started complain- ing in earnest about distortion when limiting program material. So, I went back into the studio, encountered the problem these other people were talking about, and immediately set out to come up with a modification that would increase the decay time.

Incidentally, I also got a letter from Ethan Winer from the Recording Center, Inc., saying that when the level indicating comparators change states, they could send spikes along the input line to the compressor, thereby creating buzzing. However, considering that the comparators are being fed at their hiver- ting inputs (which are at virtual ground) through a 100 k resistor, the odds of any signals escaping from the op amp and working their way back to the compressor input -even if the output impedance of the previous stage is extremely high -are remote. I tried disconnecting and reconnecting the inputs to the comparators, and could neither hear nor measure any difference. However, in his letter Mr. Winer indicated that in his opinion, it could be possible for the comparators to con- tribute distortion to the circuit if the

6

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unit feeding the limiter had a very high output impedance. Although I don't think this is the case based on experience with my equipment, I mention it anyway just in case some mysterious buzzing remains after performing the above -mentioned modification; you can always follow Mr. Winer's suggestion of disconnecting R21 and R22 to prevent the input signal from reaching the comparators. However, I'm virtually certain that the problems alluded to by the

readers of MR &M relate to the decay time of the circuit, not the comparator's changing states.

I apologize for taking so long to come up with this modification, but at least now the limiter is fully capable of satis- fying those people who had complained about distortion...and that's what's important.

-Craig Anderton Contributing Editor

Modern Recording & Music

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10

Build It Yourself and Save Again, a letter to Mr. Craig Anderton! I enjoy reading your articles and breakdowns on equipment -thanks for the article on a Teac 3340 footswitch. All of my recording is done by myself and this should prove helpful.

Heretofore my gear was the 3340 (not an A model) which I had modified to improve the signal of the record head when in sync mode (per Montebello instructions) and yes, it was improved some. A dbx 155 unit was ordered from North Carolina and came right when I had some turnabouts in my life and has never really been set up.

It is my desire now to 1) get an 8 -track recorder; 2) get a good sounding reverb for home monitoring; and 3) a simple mixer that I can pan or assign the 8 channels with.

My method with the 4 -track was to get something on tape by going straight to the machine. Then the machine is taken to a studio and transferred to multi -track where real EQ, dolby and echo can be added -as can more music. In other words, the bare bones were cut at home. The most success I've had in this respect was about 7 years ago when I took the output of an Ovation electric gut string guitar and fed it (via Y cord) into both mic inputs of a Tandberg 3041 deck. When this clean flat signal was run through a studio board, the absence of noise was remarkable. And the Tand- berg was much easier to transport.

Anyway, back to my queries. Who takes a decent reverb unit for home use? I've tried older Model Tapco's before Type 9 springs and found them a bit springy. I see ads for Intersound, Roland, Master Room, etc. All I ask for is a recommendation and perhaps a suggestion of a discount source. Help! Why would I need 2- channel operation for home practice tapes? As far as a board goes, all I need is something that can combine what's on the tape down to 2

channels with the ability to add a controlled amount of echo to selected tracks on mixdown.

Some EQ is fine, however my uses for this 8 -track system will be primarily for practice tapes. Anytime that drums will be used they will be prerecorded to a click in a commercial studio, mixed and transferred to a mono tape and then on- to the Tascam. The music will ultimate- ly be all redone later in a commercial studio -I just need a way to hear it at home. If this request for a mixer recommendation is too vast, as I can under-




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stand, forget it. Lastly, in your dealings with people

using home multitrack equipment, what are the best discount sources for the Tascam 80 -8? I have quotes coming in from Musicians Supply, Harvey's, Audio Services, Sound Ideas, and Recording Sound Co. My 4 -track was bought from a hi -fi outfit that does not deal in Tascam.

Thanks for any help you can give -I figured if anyone had a comprehensive knowledge of what works well and where to get it, you would.

I have two suggestions for projects I'd like to see tackled: one is a foot - switch for the 80 -8 similar to the one for the 3340 for us solo people and second- ly, an electric guitar accessory that would be switched in and out and would simulate hand vibrato at a prede- termined rate. The intervals ideally would be one whole step, as most bends seem to be a whole step and occasional- ly there is the need for a half -step. An invention of this sort would facilitate the "human voice" perfectly regular vibrato on any note regardless of fingerboard position. A harmonizer sounds unearthly in trying this -also it is not subtle in its attack.

Thanks for your time and help. Keep up the good work.

-Mark Casstevens Nashville, TN

And again, Mr. Anderton comes back with a quick reply: Re your problem...I think the ideal solution is to do it yourself, frankly. Get a copy of my Electronics Projects for Musicians book to learn the fundamen- tals, then get Home Recording for Musi- cians which has plans for a really good mono mixer, and then build the Hot Springs reverb I did in the October 1980 issue of Modern Recording & Music. You'll have a great sound at a low cost, which means you'll have enough money left over to build some special effects.

If you want to known about commercial equipment, listen to whatever you can and decide based on that knowledge. I didn't like the price /performance ratio of anything out there, which is why I ended up building mostly my own stuff...and suggest you do the same!

Oh yes, re your last comments: I do, in fact, have a vibrato adapter for guitar along the lines you describe. I don't

know when it will appear in print, though. Re the 80 -8 footswitch: TEAC makes a footswitch for it that costs about $25 in stores -you couldn't really build it for less, so you might as well buy in this case.

Hope the above information helps. -Craig Anderton

Contributing Editor Modern Recording & Music

Rerun We've received many requests for listings of recording and /or engineering schools in the California area. So we're rerunning a listing of California schools that we ran in our December (1980) issue. Let us remind you, though, that you must call or write to these schools for complete information on the types of programs they have, i.e. V.A. programs, state supported programs, etc. Our inclusion of any given school should not be construed as an endorsement for that school. This column is not a format for that. Our lists are really only beginning guidelines, and you should research much farther and more deeply. We may have omitted many schools from our lists, and cannot, because of space limitations,

THE STATE- OF- THE-NEED

`« -"- rsArso .xr. -_ ® iiswaia..-..s°.. !r //1\\1_-.: --, 1.Ili //-__._\w`'!'\\.'".`.` />---' '"w..,,1

Four time -delay effects in one

rugged, low- noise,

affordable package.

Finally, a delay unit designed by you, to fit your needs, and your budget. With echo, doubling, chorus and flanging at the turn of a switch,the Ibanez AD -202 makes it easy for you to sound great.

.41111 The Ibanez AD 202 Mutli- Mode Delay Unit - where the state -of- the -art meets the state -of- the -need.

Aer. _"A

12

MULTI-MODE NALOG DELA


For complete information concerning the AD202 and other Ibanez electronic products, send $1.00 to: Ibanez Dept. M.R.

P.O. Box 469, Bensalem, PA 19020 327 Broadway, Idaho Falls, ID 83401 In Canada: 6355 Park Ave., Montreal, P.Q. H2V4H5




The logic behind the Revox 5

The logic is the logic which is built -in.

It's an ingenious and highly sophisticated system - much like the human nervous system -which controls the deck's functions.

You can push any button in any order with no chance of damaging your tapes. Our motion sensing system con - stantly feeds status reports to the logic circuitry which activates your commands in proper sequence.

The logic also permits full -function remote control, and an editing mode that keeps the playback circuitry live, even when the motors are stopped. You can make your splices right on- the -beat, and our built -in splicing block makes it easy.

The design and construction of the Revox B77 further guarantee smooth and accurate operation. 'lb get the

long -life advantage of ferrite without static build -up or heat degradation, we use Revox's exclusive Revodur heads, made of metal to dispel heat and static, and vacuum -coated with permalloy for durability.

The B77 has a unique capstan motor that's monitored by a tacho head to precisely control speed and limit wow and flutter to professional studio standards.

Revox offers many options with the B77 including a full range of speed configurati=ons from 15/16 IPS to 15 IPS, variable speed control, 1/4 track record /playback and more.

All this professional quality is neatly engineered to fit in a deck you can carry After all, if you awn a machine this good, it's logical to take it with you.

Experience the B77 and the full line of Revox audio components at your franchised Revox dealer today.

C< » FL,

S R EVOX Studer R.vcx Am:rica, Inc. 1425 Elm Hill ?ile, Nashville, TN 37210, t6:5) a4-5651

Offices: Lo: Angles {213) 730 -4234 / New York (212) 255 -4462 In Canada: Studer 3evox Canada, Ltd. CIRCLE %1 ON READER SERVICECP.RJ



give you all the information on the schools we do list. So let us help you, but please hit the libraries, and recording schools themselves for more information on schools.

Music Recording School 229 Shipley St. San Francisco, CA 94107 (415) 546 -6464

Basic studio engineering: 10 week program, 65 hours. Tuition $500. Record production: 8 week program, 50 hours. Tuition: $425.

Orange Coast College 2701 Fairview Rd. Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (714) 556 -5523/5629

Music Business Vocational Programs, established 1974. Accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Courses: 1) Music Business employee or 2) Instrument Repair. Both 2 year Associates degree in Arts Vocational Program.

Recording Institute of America, Inc., RIA Network. Modern Recording Techniques I & II; 10 week vocational program; meets at the following recording studios in California:

Santee /San Diego, CA Natural Sound (16- track) 8951 Prospect Ave. Santee, CA 92071 (714) 448 -6000

AND

Los Angeles /Orange Country, CA United Audio Corporation (24- track) 1519 South Grand Ave. Santa Ana, CA 92705 (714) 547 -5466

Sherwood Oaks Experimental College 6358 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90028 (213) 462 -0669

Established 1972. Courses: Introduc- tion to Record Engineering; Beginning Record Engineering Workshop; In- termediate Record Engineering Work- shop; Advanced Record Engineering Workshop.

Sound Master Recording Engineer School P.O. Box 8327 University City, CA 91608 (213) 650 -8000

Record Engineering Program, 1 -year certificate program. Tuition: $4,090.

University of Sound Arts 6671 Sunset Blvd., Suite 1508 Los Angeles, CA 90029 (213) 467 -5656

AND

Laguna Beach location: 301 Forest Ave., Suite IA Laguna Beach, CA 92651 (714) 497 -1725

Established 1976. Courses in: Record Engineering, Recording Studio Maintenance Engineering, Record Pro- duction and Secretarial and Office Skills.

Institute of Audio/Video Engineering 1831 Hyperion Ave. Hollywood, CA 90027 (213) 666 -3003

Courses in recording engineering, video engineering, concert sound reinforcement and maintenance, and record production.

College for Recording Arts 665 Harrison St. San Francisco, CA (415) 481 -6306

Accredited by the National Associa- tion of Trade and Technical Schools.

The reverb that complements your music.

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The Orban 111B Dual Spring Reverb is ideal for small studios, because it offers the ideal combination of fully professional sound and affordable price: $799. (suggested list). Orban's unique signal processing, flexible equalization, low noise, and heavy -duty construction make the difference. Unlike cheaper reverbs, the 111B is a reverb you'll want to live with after the honeymoon's over.

Judge for yourself. If you test the 111B the right way - in a real mixdown situation (not listening to the echo return only) - you'll find that the 111B's bright, clean sound complements the music, instead of muddying it as even higher -priced reverbs can do.

There are cheaper reverbs - with noise, flutter, "twang" sounds on transients, and questionable construction. There are more expensive reverbs - some of which are disappointing in "real world" situations. And there is the proven 111B - the right sound at the right price for the professional on a budget.

oiban Orban Associates Inc., 645 Bryant St., San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 957 -1067 CIRCLE 100 ON READER SERVICE CARD

14 MODERN RECORDING & MUSIC



., : '.jz, ,

414..,.! i, -- M' 1 4

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The Sound of the Profe»ionals<., T_-) Era SI---HL.)R

=_bore Lo he Inc., 222 Hsrtre,,!'ye Eva-e.-ton, IL 60204 I i Canada: A. C. Sinemoids &Sons Limited ,Aanu acturers of high eieitycompcients.

n- icaF ho - es, wound syste rs and relab 1 circuitry. C RG.E 1 8 ON READER E EF:ICECARD

LOGY. 01:67rst £i?6' i,a0E-fi (LC0JM,T)T brings a new dimension to a hand-held condenser microphone

This new hg1 technology ShLre microphone w II change the .Ney people thin <of condenser mic-ophcnes. Tf e SM35 is de_ned especially hp- on -stage f- 3nc -hell use. Its _aunt is inique --tar mere Eilored b the spec al needs of 1 e vo.ati : sizzlirg n gis end a shepei -yid -range for superb vDcal reprocLct cn. and a gentb Less rclloff that min prizes hEndling roise end "eoomires.s" osso. -A ted with dose-L p: use. 01-ra -b cistertion elecircnics stake the Sh185 highly mmunE to st-ay hum fielcs. Ar intecra , dual - densiy foam windscreer pros ces bull -in p_p protection.

What's mo-e, the E M15 Ccr censer tiliacphan e nust pass _he saxe ruggedrESS a--c- deper Babil y tests required of inure dvnaric nicrophones. Asa result, the SMBE sets a new standac of reliability for hand -hell condenser mcropho-es

The SM85 is extreoEl' igl tvueight, beatti-ullw ba anted - it >b =1s gocd, looks goal onstage, on- camera, oon -tour.

As.. your dealer for aderroistra-ion of the new SVBE PRO TECH Sounc, or write us (ask for AL6E4) or full dletails.

SM85 Cardioid Condenser

® Hand -Held Professional Microphone



get a grip on sound - with

Patent applied

Forget those Clumsy mike stands that never stay put.

Does it better and it fits n palm of hand.

Features Built -In Shock Mount. Also attaches cowbells & other percussion accessories to drum rim without any tools.

Endorsed by recording engineer

of Sound Mixers, N.Y.C.

Available at: Martin Audio / New York City

Audiotechniques / Stamford, Conn.

If not available at your dealer, send $49.50 to:

Trust the leader' LATH pi :flummox DEPT. MR 160 Belmont Ave .

Garfield. N J 07026

L16 CIRCLE 46 ON READER SERVICE CARD

FX Effects I am requesting the address of a company called FX Labs, in order to find out more about a product called the "Switcheroo" which was advertised in your Musical Newsicals section. The article on this device appeared in your October 1980 issue. Thank you.

-James S. West Lutz, FLA

You can write to FX Labs, Inc. at P.O. Box 406, Fort Montgomery, N.Y. 10922. Their phone number is: (914) 466 -5454. They are a relatively new company, started about two years ago.

Corrections In the Talkback column of our February 1981 issue, we printed a letter written by Ed Everest, called "Expan- sive Advice." With our reply we print-

ed a diagram of circuitry. We are making a few corrections on and modifica- tions of that diagram. Check the new diagram and keep the following facts in mind: In the labelling of the 50 k pots, the ones that say 50 k Audio Master, the word "audio " is a term referring to the type of taper of the potentiometer, i.e., how the resistance changes with rotation - whether logarithmically increasing or decreasing, or directly increasing or decreasing. Actually, "50 k audio" should be thought of as one phrase, where the 50 k refers to the value, defining the extent of the taper, the type of which is "audio. " "Master" refers to the function of the component in the circuit.

Rick Chinn is responsible for the corrections of labeling on the IC pins and any further corrections appearing in the following diagrams.

2k2 10k INN T MM

82k

Existing 6200 Circuitry

I--

220 Ring

Tip

Ch. Patch Ring

50k Tom Note 5 1 /16v

A

10k Audio

pre

Post 10k

Audio

6 2

Mix Bus

2261 68p1 Separele Gnd. Out

Mix Bus /

6k2 NAN

a7 /6v

22Pí

50k

6801

30k

10k

10k Audio

Channel Fader

15k

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Pre-Fader Listen Y 4k7

3k3

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6k2 / 47/6y

Repeat Post -Fade

As Necessary

2261 Sept

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100/16v

e = 10k

Ch. Patch

Pen Pot

22k

--0

Post -Fader Out




THE MARK III BASS. CONSIDER THE ALTERNATIVES

Compare the Peavey Mark Ill Series BassTM amp to any bass amp in tie store o- on the stage.

Compare the Mark Ill's advanced features such as DDT® compression, six -band graphic equalization, bi -amp capability, parametric EQ, Automix, and complete patch pane capability against the best.

Compare the Mark Ill's advanced electronic circuitry and dynam c range.

Compare the Mark Ill's record of performance anc reliability.

You'll find exactly what leading professionals the world over have sound.

The Peavey Mark III Bass" amp is in a class by itself. Anything else is second oest.

i PEAVEY ELECTRONIC CORPORATION

711 A Street/Meridian, MS 39301


© 198'



Quincy Jones...

(1eIttaiuls quality

G

Photographed at RECORD PLANT, Los Angeles, CA

"...I mix with AURATONE® 5C Super - Sound- Cubes© the little powerhouse speakers. They tell me exactly what will be in the grooves. You hear it all with AURATONE`" !"

Join "Q" and other seasoned music world pros, top record company executives, engineers, producers, and artists who lay it on the line with AU RATONE®.

Durability, flat full -range response, amazing power han-

dling, and portability

have made AU RATONE®

5C's the Record Industry's

favorite " mixdown monitors,"... for

comparison and final mixes, au- ditioning, remotes, and reference standard speakers. See your Dealer or order Factory Direct (30 -day return privilege, one - year guarantee). $75.00 per pair. Shipping and handling add: U.S.: $5.00 pair; Foreign: $15.00 pair. Calif. residents add sales tax.

Mail to: AURATONE P.O. Box 698 -R 17, Coronado, CA 92118 Ship _pair 5 C's. Amount Enclosed $

Name (Please print) Job Title Date

Shipping Address

City State

D Please send additional information. CIRCLE 142 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Zip

18

3/4e

117vac

36v C . .5A

10/12W

SSW +24 v

1000/35v

n^Out

1N4002 4) 470/35v

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.01

Now the Price is Right On page 28 of our March issue, in the Product Scene column, we listed the prices of the Great British Spring with power supply, and with two outboard parametric equalizers. We were off by $100 on each. The Great British Spring, a six spring reverb unit made by the Mike Shop of Elmont, N.Y., a division of Omnisound costs $599 (not $499), when sold by itself with power supply, and when sold with two outboard parametric equalizers costs $724 (not $624).

Grateful I enjoy your magazine very much, and look forward to reading each issue cover to cover. The recent Grateful Dead article was both enlightening and entertaining. It made me feel good to see that there are still groups who feel. High technology, truckloads of equipment, etc., not withstanding, what the audience hears is still the most important thing. - Gabril C. Washburn

Central, S.C.

Thank You We received this letter, directed to Brian Roth. Regarding your answer to Ron Vickery's letter in the December 1980

issue of MR &M, pg. 20, in the Talkback column, my rather old RCA battery manual has those rectangular 9 volt batteries rated at 0 -8 MA for carbon - zinc and 0 -30 for mercury. It must be more now, but I usually start to get ap- prehensive at about 15 mils.

As for the wiring of clips to a power supply, do remember that the red wire refers to the polarity as driven by the battery. If the toot toy's clip has a black wire coming from the male gadget, the driving clip will have to be negative on the female one -the red wire.

By the way, thanks for the report on the Tapco 7416. I was just using a 7224 last night and liked it very much.

-H.A. (Pee Wee) Paprocki Rochester, NY

Pix Mix -Up In the Product Scene column of our April 1981 issue, pg. 30, we ran a photograph of the Heath crossover a bit too soon. Instead of running it with its proper copy, we placed it smack in the middle of the review of the Hall Engineering Test Signal Generator. So, that was not the Hall test signal generator, folks, as those of you with good eyes, or who were just alert, may have noticed. _Y




TAMA MIKE STANDS? -- GA - Dave Starobin, S

"We've used Tama drums and Titan hardware for some time now, and they've never let us down. The new line of Tama mike stands exhibits the same thought and attention to detail. Tama stands give us excellent isolation, easy and positive positioning and real stability. All I can say is, they're great!'

When you work with mike stands for a living, you begun to appreciate the fine points. Like extra thick natural rubber feet and boom washers for better isolation, nylon height adjustment bushings and extra -wide -stance legs. When you add up the fine points, they point to Tama.

Wide -stance legs for stability ... soft rubber feet for good isolation.

The boom that stays put . . adjusts easily ... won't sag.

CIRCLE 171 ON READER SERVIICE CARD

For more infcrmation about Tama mike stands send 51.00 to: Tana Dept..kt.R. ?.O. Bor 469, Bensalem, PA 19020 327 Broadway. Idaho Falls, ID 83401 'n Canada: 6355 Park Ave.. Montreal, P.Q. H2V4H5



OUR NEW MANUAL MIXER

ENDS MANDA

BUSSIN



Now nobody but you determines the routes your signals travel.

The Tascam System 20 isn't your common everyday mixer.

We pulled all the switches (their logic is fixed and limited) and put in patch points all along the signal path.

You make the connections, so practically anything you want is possible. When the job at hand changes from basics to overdubs to remix, you just change the way the System 20 works.

All this flexibility brings incredible quality, too. Since you do your own routing, you can take shortcuts. Bypassing circuits you dont need, getting really clean signals.

The System 20 also ends your nightmares about needing an absolute fortune for a console with this kind of flexibility and quality. Now you can make the music you dream about at a price you can afford.

The System 20 centers around the MM20 Mas- ter Module. It's nothing less than professional. Four line inputs and two XLR transformer- isolated microphone inputs. Six output busses ready to change with the job. If you need three or even four effects busses you can just patch them in.

Next, for truly flexible sound shaping, there's the four -channel PE20 Parametric Equalizer. Low frequency range is continuously variable with sweep -type setting from 60 Hz to 1.5 kHz. Mid -range sweep control from 1.5 kHz to 8 kHz. And the high frequency is fixed at 10 kHz. Boost and cut for all three is -±12 dB.

Then there's the MU20 Meter Unit. Ready to patch anywhere you need it. Like buss outputs or tape playback. And with its four VU -type averag- ing meters and peak LED's, you have the best of both metering worlds.

Like the rest of the System 20, there's nothing common about the 4 x 4 EX20 Microphone Expander either. Four transformer -isolated inputs with twelve patch points.

Once you plug into the economy of our manual mixer, you can save even more %-/

by hooking up with Tascam's two new economical compact recorder /reproducers. Both give you 15 íps on 7" reels for 22 -1/2 minutes of quality recording time.

You save in the long run, too. Because the System 20's modular design adds yet another dimension of flexibility. It grows right along with you. So when you're ready for 8- track, you just add another Master Module instead of an expensive new mixer.

Visit your Tascam dealer for a demonstration. Then you'll see exactly how the System 20 opens up new avenues of creativity.

22 -4. 4 -track multichannel recorder. 22 -2. 2 -track mastering recorder.

TASCAMSERIES E TEAC Production Products

©1981 TEAC Corporation of America, 7733 Telegraph Road, Montebello, CA 90640




IÇTALKt Á

"Talk back" questions are answered by professional engineers, many of whose names you have probably seen listed on the credits of major pop albums. Their techniques are their own and might very well differ from another's. Thus, an answer in "Talk back " is certainly not necessarily the last word.

We welcome all questions on the subject of recording, although the large volume of questions received precludes our being able to answer them all. If you feel that we are skirting any issues, fire a letter off to the editor right away. "Talk back" is the Modern Recording & Music reader's technical forum.

TLC for Comp /Limiter I recently purchased the complete facilities of an existing studio. My newly acquired equipment includes one Tascam Model 5 board, one Teac Model 2 board, one Harmon -Kardon Citation 12 power amplifier, one Teac /Tascam Series 70 8 -track machine, one Teac A3340 machine for mixdowns, one Tap - co 4400 reverb unit, a patchbay and two dbx Model 161 compressor/limiters.

What is the best way to set the threshold on the compressor/limiters? I have tried various settings and I'm not pleased with the sound I am getting. The units seem to be "clipping" the sound at times. It seems like after the threshold is passed, compression kicks in too suddenly. While on the subject, what is the best way to hook up the comp/limiters with the equipment I have described above?

-David Parrish President

Parrish Productions Greenville, Tenn.

The threshold control setting of a dbx Model 161 depends on the unit's application. It can be used as a compressor or limiter. The threshold control determines the point at which com-

22

pression, or limiting, begins. The range of the threshold control is from 10 mV to 3 V. The lower the voltage setting, the sooner compression will begin.

The actual amount of gain reduction is a function of the threshold control and the compression ratio control. With a high threshold voltage setting and a high compression ratio setting (1:5 or greater), limiting of program material will occur; while, with a lower voltage threshold setting, strong compression will occur. Higher threshold settings result in lesser amounts of program material to be compressed and /or limited.

The output level control should be used to adjust output levels for a given threshold /compression setting.

The dbx 161 changes level based upon rates of program level change. Small program level changes result in slower attack rates (reaction time) than larger program level changes. For limiting applications, high threshold settings used with high compression rates can result in an abrupt change in gain once the threshold point has been

OUTPUT (dbV)

30

40

50

60

70

exceeded. The 161 is a very effective amplifier /speaker protection device when used this way. In recording applications this could result in the flat- tening of sound that you refer to as clipping. Please note "clipping" is a term commonly used to describe peak level distortion, not heavy peak corn - pression. There is a limit to what can be smoothly processed by any compressor /limiter. By decreasing the amount of compression and lowering the threshold setting thus causing compression to take place sooner, audibly smoother results should be obtained.

The compression curve in the dbx Model 161, while essentially an industry standard, can also result in sharp program changes which are not always audibly smooth. This is why dbx, Inc., uses the "Over Easy "' compression curve in its Models 903, 163, 164 and 165. As can be seen in the comparison diagram, the point of threshold extends over a greater range. This results in smoother compression since level changes occur over a longer

OV

NORMAL-

ER EASY (165)

(x :1 COMPRESSION)

-70 -60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 +10

INPUT (dbV)

"OVER EASY" COMPRESSION




period of time. While we believe the dbx Model 161 compressor /limiter is an excellent unit, you may prefer a dbx compressor /limiter incorporating the "Over Easy" compression curve. Ex- perimentation here is the key.

As for recommended hook -up, we concur with Teac Corporation, the best place to connect a dbx 161 in your system is by patching it into any of the "Access" send and receive jacks on your boards when needed. - Harold C. Cohen

Customer Relations dbx, Inc.

Newton, Mass.

Designer's Choice I have a pair of Peavey 112 Inter- national P.A. speakers. Although they are small (22" x 15" x 11"), they are very effective. However, they are not vented, which makes me feel that I'm not getting the low -end response that might be possible. The International has a Black Widow 12" speaker in it. My question is, wouldn't this speaker work better in a vented enclosure even if the enclosure is very small?

-Ron Garrett Amarillo, Texas

The Peavey 112 International is an extremely compact enclosure designed primarily for vocal sound reinforcement applications. Frequency response is 100 Hz to 14 kHz, ±3 dB.

In the design of any speaker system, a choice must be made between efficiency and bandwidth; i.e., an increase in efficiency results in a narrowing of the bandwidth and vice versa. We opt- ed for high efficiency in the 112 Inter- national. Thus, the 12 -inch Black Widow woofer, because of its high efficiency, has an inherently high cut -off frequency (100 Hz).

It is true that proper venting of this box would lower the cut -off approximately '/3- octave to 80 -85 Hz. How- ever, additional equalization to further boost the low -end to typical sound reinforcement limits of 50 -60 Hz would result in excessive speaker cone excursion causing distortion and probable speaker failure.

An infinite baffle (closed box) system has a slower roll -off rate than a vented system, making equalization below rated cut -off easier on both the amplifier and the woofer. Better con-

MAY 1981

CAVEAT EMPTOR. Let the buyer beware.

All multi -cable connectors are not created equal. Some of them may look alike on the surface, but a closer examination of the design and components will show a marked difference. A professional will know the difference; if not now, then in time to come. The Whirlwind Medusa will hold up under abusive day in and day out treatment.

Medusa systems are available in five basic configurations, or with many custom options depending on your specific needs. Multi -pin connectors at either end permit quick connect and disconnect. Impedance matching line transformers can be included for greater line flexibility. Storage options include the Medusa Wheel and two

different road cases. We feel it's important to take a

close look at the Medusa and at the competition. Look inside the junction box. How were the connections made: Do they look like they will withstand the kind of torture you will put them through? And what about the strain - relief? Our heavy duty wire mesh strain -reliefs are double reinforced and are at both ends. Check to see if the cables are color coded (by subgroup) on the sends and returns.

This could save you time and aggravation. Only Whirlwind uses cable custom made to our specifications by Belden for increased life and versatility. We individually hand stamp the plug ends for easy identification; We don't use wrapping which can come off. We've designed our Medusas with independent grounds to eliminate ground loops.

But we're not telling you all this to scare you. We feel confident in the way we design and build our products. Besides using the best possible cable and connectors, we back our Medusas with the Whirlwind full two year guarantee. That should ease your mind and let you concentrate on your music. So don't worry, beware and buy Whirlwind.

Shown above is the standard Medusa 15 with 100' cable, 12 mikes in, and 3 sends.

Whirlwind Music Inc. P.O. Box 1075 Rochester, New York 14603




trol is also provided for the woofer below cut -off, improving mechanical power handling.

For these reasons, in this particular application, a closed box design enables much more efficient and extended equalization and performance below 100 Hz without the problems caused by excessive cone excursion.

-Mike O'Neill Design Engineer

Peavey Electronics Meridian, Miss.

Quirky Cable Question I am in the process of enlarging my patch cord collection and was wonder- ing if I could use TV -type coaxial cable, in particular, Belden 8259 RG -58 A/U for my cords? It is flexible, has a stranded center conductor and looks like heavy microphone cable. Will it work? If not, why? Please include more construction articles.

-David Simpson Keyser, West Va.

MR &M Technical Editor Brian Roth, the noted composer of the "Spaghetti

Sonata, Or Understanding Cables and Connectors" (Modern Recording, June 1977) took a moment out from his busy schedule to ponder your question. The things you must consider in addition to the sheer availability of the cable are the type of equipment with which you are working, the physical characteristics of the cable itself, and the kind of treatment the cable will face in use with your patch bay. (Let's face it, people at work in the studio don't always have time to be gentle with their equipment.)

The first standard by which to judge appropriate cable -your equipment - -we cannot begin to explore since you do not delineate your setup. Keep in mind, however, that most professional equipment requires two -conductor, shielding cable. If you are working with Teac /Tascam or some other "semi pro" equipment, you can squeak by with single- conductor, shielded cable. (Belden 8259 is single conductor.) This segues nicely into Brian's points about the cable itself.

Keep in mind that the cable may appear to be flexible, but will it withstand the rigors of continued studio use? Brian

feels that next to the cable used for onstage applications, patch bay cords certainly have the most strenuous job required of a cable. TV cable is not really intended to flex that much on a continued basis, and its construction reflects this. Professional patch bay cables have a center strand especially designed for resilient flexibility. They sport a center conductor of what Brian termed "tinsel " -a woven strand of thread, cloth and very fine wires that will not snap or kink with strenuous use. Roth notes that these cables are very hard, if not downright impossible to solder, but that manufacturers usually equip them with metal ter- minations to remedy this problem.

The cable's capacitance is not really a factor in your choice since it is low for Belden 8259, as it is for most patch bay cables.

Basically, you must assess your equipment to see if it will function with one conductor cable, and then deter- mine the type of handling the cords will have to endure. Consider, too, the life span you would require of them. Poor performance or frequent replace- ment is not cost effective, after all.

FUTURE PERFORMANCE Hinges on today's

value

Watch for Biamp's 42 Series mixers. If you're looking for versatility as well as reliable performance without compromising your talents with a lack of features, then try a Biamp 42 Series mixer.

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Listen. Hear the sibilance in the properly centered high EQ. Then check the full spectrum of precision control.

Get a Biamp "42 Series" mixer. Never before have you heard such fidelity combined with amazing value. Call or write us for more information.

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24





Good music never dies. Unfortunately, a lot of cassette tapes do. At Maxell, we've designed our cassettes to be as enduring as your

music. Unlike ordinary cassettes, they're made with special anti - jamming ribs that help prevent tape frorr_ sticking, stretching and tearing.

And our cassette shells are built to standards that are as much as 60% higher than the industry calls for.

So if you'd like to preserve your old favorites for the years to come, keep them in a safe place. On one of our cassettes.

Moxell Corporation of Ameno. 60 Uxforc Dr,ve, Moono<h,e, N 07074


IT5 WORTH IT



No Strings Attached I saw Peter Gabriel at the Tower Theater recently and he was excellent. Beyond this fact, I couldn't help but notice his microphone. It had no wires whatsoever: he stuck it in his pocket, pulled it out, danced around, everything! It was splendid. I used to do sound for a local band and we fooled with snakes and a small board, but all the mies had wires -all over the place, too, it seemed! Maybe I've been out of

touch too long, but can you tell me a bit about mies of this sort?

-Mary Francis Shields Philadelphia, Penn.

Wireless microphones are becoming more and more fashionable because of technological and price breakthroughs which have made them more desirable and affordable to a larger spectrum of performers. On the financial front, it is

possible today to buy a professional

STAY TUNED. There are dozens of tuners knocking

around these days. But when it comes to standing up to the hard knocks of life on the road or in the studio, there's really only one -The ALPHATONE 3 from Imaginearing Audio.

This one fell 14 stories from a hotel window. And when we plugged in to the ALPHATONE 3, it was still providing instant, accurate, hands -free tuning.

The ALPHATONE 3's footswitch feature and in -line patching means you can leave it plugged - in while you're playing. So that you can silently check your tuning even in the middle of a song

The unique ALPHATONE 3 displays notes alphabetically and indicates if they are sharp or flat.

The ALPHATONE 3 is totally unlike all other tuners which force you to memorize the numerical frequencies of each note.

So if you're looking for durability and simplicity, on the road or in the studio, pick up the ALPHATONE 3.

And be sure to stay tuned for future product developments.

IMAGINERRING RUDIO

Contact us for the name of the Alphatone dealer nearest you:

5558 S.E. International Way, Milwaukie, Oregon 97222 (503) 653 -5927 (800) 547 -1731


28

quality wireless microphone system for several hundred dollars, not much more than a good quality standard microphone might cost. The main technological advance has been the de-

velopment of circuitry which gives up to 100 dB of dynamic range and a greatly improved signal -to -noise ratio. The dynamic range figures for the best of these wireless microphones is equivalent to that of hard -wired (standard) microphones. The compansion circuitry that has made this possible can best be compared to that used in the dbx product line. We have just been granted a government patent on this circuitry and feel that it will have a significant effect on this portion of the audio industry.

The improved figures for dynamic range and signal -to -noise have also served to open up the rock and roll market to wireless microphones. While the freedom of movement has long been a desired aspect of using wireless mics, this market and others had previously been prevented from using them because of audio limitations. Happily, that has been turned around.

At this time there are five kinds of wireless systems used in the industry. Unfortunately, the FCC has not opened up a specific band or frequency solely for wireless systems and so the various systems must operate in conjunction with and in between established frequencies.

The first system we shall explore is a low -band system which operates at a

fixed frequency of 49 MHz. This is the least expensive system, but it occa- sionally suffers from random interference from other (higher powered) users hitting on the same frequency band. This system affords the least audio quality, but it is generally accep- table for some applications.

The next system operates on a commercial FM band at a frequency of 88 -108 MHz. This is the lowest priced system to offer tunable operation which can eliminate the instance of random in-

terference since, although this system uses a standard receiver, it allows you to tune in between the FM stations where no interference exists.

The next system also offers tunable operation, but utilizes a custom receiver which incorporates the special audio processing discussed earlier which gives the user 100 dB of signal -to- noise. Many rock groups, including most of the top touring bands, use this system.




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ISEYER DYNAMIC

Because we understand that your performance depends a lot on our

performance, we make microphones that can truly withstand the

rigors of the road. The new Beyer M600 virtually puts an end to hum, pop and boom with its hum buck-

ing coil, its built -in breath and "pop" filter and its 3- position fre-

quency equalizer. The Beyer M400, which costs somewhat less than

the M600, has many of the same features - with all the quality and

durability that have become Beyer trademarks. Here are two micro-

phones that can easily be mistaken for ribbons; they have all the warmth and quality. But are far more afford-

able. For a complete demonstration, see your Beyer dealer.

Be er)))) Dynamic

BEYER DYNAMIC, INC. 5 -05 Burns Avenue, Hicksville, NY 11801

(516) 935 -8000 / In Canada, H. Roy Gray, Ltd.

0 LISTEN UP Now there is a studio monitor that is both powerful and precise - the Dahlquist DQM -9.

At last you can monitor at the high levels necessary to hear what's going on way down in the mix and still get flat spectral balance, depth and superb detail.

For full technical information on what makes the DQM -9 such a special studio monitor (for example, our precision German -made drivers with ribbon wire voice coils, and some very interesting enclosure techniques) please write to us at:

MOM IIIULQUIST 601 Old Willets Path, Hauppauge, NY 11787. In Canada: Evolution Audio. 2289 Fairview Street. Burlington, Ontario L7R 2E3


The fourth fairly common system available today is a VHF system which operates on selected fixed frequencies between 150 and 216 MHz. This system utilizes business channels or unused TV channels. These systems are generally more expensive and also require a special receiver. This system is tradi- tionally the one used most by professionals. These VHF systems are available from different manufacturers with varying levels of performance, i.e., not all incorporate the compansion circuitry.

A fifth system exists today, fairly esoteric in nature, used primarily by broadcasters. It is a UHF system which operates around 450 kHz or around 950 MHz. These are special units, quite expensive, which approach the best VHF systems in performance quality.

The advantage of a wireless system seems obvious: freedom of movement. I'd like to also offer the additional points for your consideration: freedom from electrical shock from faulty grounds; the elimination of unsightly cords and all the accompanying hassles; and, for electric guitarists, the elimination of spurious pickup of interference (from AM radio, etc.) and audio degradation that is common with long cable runs.

The feeling in the audio industry today is that with the improved specifications on wireless equipment due to the implementation of the new circuitry, and a growing public awareness of its possibilities, almost all audio applications currently using cords will eventually go wireless. Some of these uses are in practice today; others are just around the corner. Some worth noting here include: wireless headsets or in the ear monitors for both stage and studio musicians, increased wireless operation for a greater variety of musical instruments, and easier stage setups without the hassles of miles of cords (including stage to monitor board runs).

The technology necessary for wireless operation has been here for some time and, as we discussed earlier, is improving steadily. It is only a matter of time before the increasing public awareness of the diverse applications of this technology will allow others to experience the excitement you felt recently at the Tower Theater.

-John Nady President

Nady Systems, Inc. Oakland, Ca.

-!b 30 MODERN RECORDING & MUSIC



. ySia'r J!s !!I!404!t!ilir!{r!44lilli .i ii i i..i .i.i i s. ..iisi -I i_0 -0 _I_i_I I . II . -.i`.í'¡t.t:.-I-Í ,,, v

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The NEI 164XM professional mixing console. Engineering excellence. Provzg elecronic advancement. Sixteen channels. Four submasters. Infinite possibilities. Sophisticate your sound. Design it with the 164XM. From NEI.

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By Norman Eisenberg

NE" `- rRIEc' Top of the line in a new series of cassette recorders by Hitachi is the D- 1100M. The r/p head is a combination type, with separate gaps for record and play in a single housing. IC logic control permits "feather touch" direct switching from one transport mode to another. A dual- capstan drive system is used. In addition to a "Unitorque" capstan motor, the deck has a DC reel motor. A built -in microcomputer handles automatic tape adjustments. The deck has metal tape capability, and uses dual 16 -LED peak -hold meters.

Other models include the D -E95, the D -E55 and the D -E25. Features vary with each model.


HIGH P "'''ER SWITCH Four pairs of stereo loudspeak( rs may be driven from a single amplifier without overloading the amp's output stage, with the use of the new Russound MP -3

speaker amplifier switching device. Says Russound: "Each pair of speakers may be volume- controlled independently of the others, and without changing the load impedance seen by the amplifier." The MP -3

also provides input switching for two separate power amplifiers so that any loudspeaker pair may be driven from either of two signal sources. The MP -3

will accept power inputs from any commercially available amplifier and will drive loudspeakers of any nominal impedance in any combination up to a level of 70 watts music power per speaker.


32

8 IN, 4 OUT MIXER

From Studiomaster Inc. of Anaheim, California comes word of its new 8/4 mixer, capable of function- ing as a board for recording and /or "live" performance work. Because of its four discrete outs, it also works as a monitor mixer or keyboard mixer.

The first four channels are set up to accept R1AA equalization so that the device will serve as a mixer in disco or nightclub applications. Featured are all new electronics (ICs) and edge connectors plus balanced inputs and phantom powering. Price is $1495.


NEW MICS FROM A -T Audio -Technica's new model AT815 "shotgun" microphone is described as a unidirectional electret condenser unit designed specifically for long distance pickup. Priced at $200, it was created for broadcasting and pro -sound reinforcement work, and is available only in retail outlets that specialize in that class of equipment.

For more general consumer use, A -T is offering the model AT817, a wide -range unidirectional electret condenser microphone designed more for the amateur. Its price is $50 and it will be sold through a broad range of retail outlets.




PASSIVE CROSSOVERS FROM COMMUNITY

From Community Light & Sound comes news of two new passive crossovers for use by anyone con- structing his own two -way speaker systems. The two models are the 8816 for an 800 Hz crossover frequency and the 15816 for 1500 Hz. The units were designed for use with an 8 -ohm low- frequency driver and a 16 -ohm high frequency driver (an 8 -ohm tweeter or compression driver may be used with the addition of a series resistor). The crossovers are 12 dB /octave parallel LC circuits constructed of non - saturating air -core inductors and non -inductive mylar capacitators, resulting in a power rating of 250 watts. The entire unit is securely potted in poly- ester resin reinforced with glass fiber for ruggedness and reliability. Electrical connections are made via a barrier strip on the front of the unit, and a 16 -ohm "L" pad is furnished for remote mounting as a treble attenuator.


DIGITAL CASSETTE RECORDER Technics has announced the SV -P100, a PCM (pulse code modulation) processor and complete cassette tape- recording system in a single unit. Said to be simpler to operate than a standard open -reel deck, while also using less tape than two -track 15 -ips recording, the SV -P100 "permits results higher in quality than any home recordist had ever before thought possible."

The device, styled as a compact table -top system, has its most often used controls arranged on a slanted console panel. In use, the new deck samples the incoming audio signal, converts it to a standard NTSC TV signal, and then records it on a VHS format video cassette. During playback, the signal is retrieved and entered into a memory circuit where various error compensations are performed. The resultant binary code then is converted back to an audio signal and passed through a low -pass filter which removes the pulse frequency. The resultant analogue audio signal then can be reproduced in the conventional way.

Making extensive use of advanced circuit techniques such as chips, the recorder has a built -in microcomputer that provides full logic control. Among operational features are an automatic open/ close cassette holder; a fader adjusment, fast - forward, pause, search, stop, rewind, play, record, electronic editing, a jump option to skip unneeded portions in playback, a search function, a locate function, preset playback switching, cueing facility, ter- minals to permit digital dubbing, LCD tape counter and signal level indicators, front panel headphone and microphone jacks. Maximum recording time is two hours. The device uses a 14 -bit linear quantizing rate.

HARRISON MR -2 CONSOLES The MR -2 from Harrison Systems of Nashville, Tenn. is described as a "specialized" console. A full range of options and features, explains the manufacturer, allows the user to specialize the console to individual functional and budgeting needs. The system involves expansion frames and module update kits, as well as basic design and wiring techniques intended to minimize inefficiencies and max- imize utility. Details are explained in literature from the manufacturer.

CIRCLE 6 ON READER SERVICE CARD CIRCLE 7 ON READER SERVICE CARD



CERWIN -VEGA EQUALIZER Cerwin -Vega's new model GE -3 is a stereo graphic equalizer that offers half -octave filter bandwidths for frequencies below 250 Hz and full octave filter bandwidths above 250 Hz. As a result the specified center frequencies for each channel are 31.5, 45, 63, 90, 125,

180, 250, 500, 1 K, 2 K, 4 K, 8 K and 16 KHz. The half -octave centers, says Cerwin -Vega, are designed to provide high resolution in the "critical low frequencies where EQ problems are likely to occur." Both un-

balanced and balanced inputs and outputs are provided, and are protected against damaging levels or loads. Powered by a dual -voltage supply (115 or 230 V AC), the GE -3 uses monolithic amplifiers. It is equipped with an active filter network -called GIC (for generalized impedance converter) -which uses operational ICs. The GIC circuitry simulates an RLC bandpass filter and is said to realize inductive characteristics without actually using an inductor. Each of the thirteen bands on two channels is rated for 12 dB boost or cut. Price is $550.


UHER SHOWS NEW MODELS New versions of Uher open -reel portable tape recorders feature three heads with off -the -tape monitoring; easy -to -read peak -level meters; LED function indicators; integrated power supply at the mic socket for using condenser mics; meter illumination with automatic time switching; and fully electronic amplifier switching. Now known as the "Report Monitor," the new Uher series comes in three models. The model 4000 ($1,189.50) is a half -track mono -only machine. The model 4200 ($1,361.25) is a half -track machine with stereo. The model 4400 ($1,361.25) is a

quarter -track stereo machine. All Uher decks run at four speeds: 71/2; 33/4; 1' /B; and i5 /16 inches -per- second. Uher's are now available through Walter Odemer Co., Inc. of Burbank, Ca.


NEW MIXING BOARDS From Dallas Music Industries (Hawthorne, N.J.) comes word of its new series of Kelsey Professional Mixing Boards. Thirty -seven models are offered in five new lines. Prices range from $925 to $20,280. All Kelsey boards are furnished with an aluminum reinforced fiberglass SMF ATA style road case.

The Pro -Club +3 Series is offered with six through twenty -four inputs. Features include stereo and mono operation, balanced and unbalanced inputs and outputs, shielded studio grade mic -input transformers, built -in reverb systems and two LED level arrays.

The Pro -4/3 Series is offered with twelve to twenty -four inputs, and features two true stereo submaster or four mono submaster operation at the touch of a button. Also included are stereo solo and mute, four LED level arrays, four sends, four -band EQ, long -throw faders, channel patching and external power supply.

The Stagemix +4 Series is a four -output stage monitor board, available with eight through twenty - four inputs.

The Pro -Tour 8/3 Series employs a modular for-

mat with eight through thirty -two inputs available. Among its many features is separate four -track mixdown.

The Soundprism Series is DMI's top -of- the -line modular format with eight through forty -eight inputs available. Features include fifteen main mix busses, four assignment sends, stereo zoom system, four returns and a lot more.


FISHER DEBUTS NEW DECK A bid for the serious cassette recordist is seen in the model DD450 cassette deck from Fisher. Using three heads and featuring direct capstan drive, the DD450 transport is "feather- touch" operated through solenoids. The drive motor itself is an 18 -pole brushless, coreless DC servo motor, and its direct connection to the capstan obviates the need for brushes, pulleys and belts. A separate motor handles fast wind modes. Other features include metal tape capability, four -position bias and EQ selector, Dolby NR, bias fine adjust, fluorescent VU meters with a peak -hold system and more. Price is $579.95.




MXR PREAMP; OCTAVE EQ

Described as offering unparalleled control flexibility for a complex stereo system is the System Preamp II from MXR. Input sources can be routed and mixed independently, and two turntables may be selected independently since the unit contains two totally in-

dependent RIAA phono preamps. The device has 2 -in

to 2- output capability, with two signal processing loops that offer assignable locations. A mix control may be used for professional fades or tape blending.

Also new from MXR is the model 147 stereo oc-

tave equalizer. This is a 10 -band per channel unit, with frequency bands spaced according to standard ISO centers. Also included is an infrasonic noise filter, switchable and independent of the EQ in /out switch. A front -panel switch enables the model 147 to be patched into a system before the tape deck to facilitate the making of equalized tapes.


be slipped into a large -size pocket, looped onto your belt, or slung over a shoulder not unlike a camera. In addition to handling standard size audio cassettes at the 17 ips speed, some of these tiny tapers also can be fitted with an FM "cassette" that permits reception of stereo broadcasts. Hearing is via ultra lightweight headphones.

While obviously this particular product trend is of more direct interest to listeners who are on- the -move, it does have some implications for the recordist on-

the -move. For one thing, it is possible to incorporate a record function in the basic format, and at this writing at least two firms- Sony --y -nd Aiwa -have announced this option. I have obtained a sample of the Sony EEeasTMan and can report that it does a job of stereo recording that seems considerably better than what you might expect from such a small format.

The other spinoff here is the rising interest in those almost "weightless" headphones. All of these cassette units are supplied with one headset, and most have provision for jacking in a second headset. Accordingly, some firms -not themselves offering the tape units -are offering the new type of head - phone, among them (so far), Joss and nica. With a suitable adaptor plug, these headphones can be jacked into a standard headphone output, and their sound is -in sum -worthy enough to recom- mend them for general in- the -field monitoring.

A LITTLE OF THIS AND THAT...

By one name or another -such as Sony's "Walkman" and "Pressman" or the KLH "Solo" or Infinity Sound's "Intimate Stereo " -a significant number of audio manufacturers have launched a

new application of the versatile audio cassette. This time, in contrast to one major design trend which has cassette decks getting bigger and more complex, the new product format is quite petite and average weight of the entire deck is barely one pound. What's more, the units are small enough to

While on cassettes, by the way, I note that dbx is introducing prerecorded dbx -encoded cassettes, thus adding to and enhancing its earlier offerings of dbx - encoded discs. The new releases are being duplicated in real -time at In Sync Laboratories and will carry a retail list price of $20 each. They may be played, as the dbx discs, through the dbx Type II noise -re-

duction system or decoder. CIRCLE 13 ON READER SERVICE CARD

The Musician's Manual is the title of a new book compiled and edited by Mark E. Halloran, offered as "a presentation of the Beverly Hills Bar Association Barristers Committee for the Arts," and published by Hawthorn/Dutton, N.Y. In soft cover, it contains over 240 large -size pages that are loaded with information on getting started in the music business, demos, "live" performance tips, copyright information, relations with managers and agents and so on. Price is $9.95.




PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS

One of the more interesting developments in drum design recently has been the line of Dragon Drums introduced at last summer's NAMM trade show in Chicago. Dragon Drum Ltd. has now announced the introduction of Dragonwood drums which share the same basic design as the original Dragon Drums but are constructed from 8 -ply laminated wood rather than the seamless, transparent acrylic of the original models. The basic design of Dragon Drums and Dragonwoods is a much more compact design than traditional tom -toms giving drummers a considerably streamlined set -up. For example, six Dragon tom -toms will mount in two rows of three on top of a bass drum in roughly as much space as two conventional tom -toms. The new Dragon - woods are available in five natural wood finishes, all coated with poly- urethane high -gloss varnish for durability.


Star Instruments has branched out in its line of electronic percussion from electronic drums to what is perhaps most easily described as an electronic marimba. The new model is known as the Synare MP (for Mallet Percussion), and features a four -octave "keyboard" which may be transposed up or down an additional octave. The Synare MP is a polyphonic instrument capable of simultaneously producing up to eight notes; all eight notes may have the same voicing, or they may be divided in- to two individually -voiced groups of four notes each. In addition, the two voices may be doubled so that striking one key simultaneously produces two different voices or the keyboard may be operated in a split mode with one voicing in the lower two octaves and another in the top two nr+Rves. The

36

i Synare MP also has a four -note polyphonic sequencer built in which will store up to sixteen sequences of up to thirty -two notes each with or without their associated rhythm patterns. Se- quencer playback may be transposed by any interval, and the keyboard is active even during sequence playback. The Synare MP is housed in two units, one housing the keyboard and the other housing the electronics, and is furnished with custom Calzone road cases.


One of the few true advances in percussion is the Rhythm Tech Tam- bourine. Rather than the traditional round design, the Rhythm Tech tambourine is shaped rather like a crescent moon with a padded hand grip on the

concave portion of the rim where it is near the center of gravity of the tambourine. The result of this design is greater control for the musician and less fatigue when playing the instrument. Additionally, the sixteen pairs of jingles are an improved design and are produced in Rhythm Tech's own factory for consistency and superior sound. The Rhythm Tech tambourine has already received acceptance by many of the industry's top percus- sionists, and in addition has been made a part of the permanent design collection of The Museum of Modern Art for its aesthetic as well as functional qualities.


Electro- Harmonix has expanded its line of compact, battery -operated electronic drums to include a half dozen different models which will mount on Roto -Tom stands or on conventional cymbal stands with the hardware furnished with the individual units. The line includes the SpaceDrum, which produces the familiar up- or down -sweeping synthesized drum sound with impact control of volume and pitch; the Super Space Drum, which adds modulation to the basic Space Drum sound; the Crashpad, which simulates snare, cymbal, surf and various explosive sounds with a triggered filter sweep of a white noise source; the Sonic Boomer, which has a wide, 7- octave pitch range plus widely variable resonance for an extraordinary range of effects; the Rolling Thunder for very low frequency percussion synthesis; and the Clap Track which produces hand -clap, cymbal and tambourine voicings with selectable slap -back echo.


SYNTHESIZERS

The Prophet 5 Synthesizer now has a new baby brother according to a recent announcement from Sequential Circuits. The new model is known as the Pro -One and it brings a whole new level of features and performance to the realm of low cost ($645) mono- phonic synthesizers. The Pro -One is a full- function unit with two VCOs with sawtooth, square and pulse waveshapes on both and triangle waves from one of the two; a 4 -pole (24 dB per octave) VCF and a VCA both with independent ADSR envelope generators; and a built -in digital sequencer with two sequences totalling up to forty notes. The unit comes with a 3- octave (C to C) keyboard with pitch bend and modulation thumbwheels. Other capabilities of the Pro -One include an "automatic" glide mode which allows selective glide




between notes, single and double modulation capabilities, single and multiple triggering modes, repeat and drone modes and an arpeggiator. Another unusual aspect of the unit is its facilities for interface to the outside world, including an audio input with preamp and special gate generator, standard 1 Volt /octave control voltage inputs and outputs, gate input and output and an exclusive built -in digital in-

terface to facilitate connection to most home computers.


Star Instruments, which until now has been known for its Synare electronic drums, has announced the first of what is to be a whole series of electronic wind instruments. The first of its new Synair line is the model 201, a

two -octave, single -voice instrument with breath -controlled timbre and loudness. The 201 has a twenty -five note, F -to -F keyboard which may be transposed two octaves, and which has portamento and pitch bend functions. Sound source in the unit is a single VCO with square, pulse and sawtooth output waveforms. The single VCA and the VCF are both controlled by breath velocity -the harder you blow, the louder and brighter the sound is. The filter has four resonance settings which are controlled by two control keys on the unit. The Synair 201 is powered by a single 9 -volt battery (rechargeable battery pack with charger /AC adapter is optionally available) and is made to connect to an amplification system, although a

speaker module for self- contained use is also an option.


A new addition to the Korg line of synthesizers has been introduced by Unicord. The new model is the X927 Trident, an advanced, programmable, polyphonic synthesizer with split keyboard and triple layering capabili-

ty. The Korg Trident has three separate polyphonic sounds, namely strings, brass and polyphonic synthesizer, which may be used individually or simultaneously. The unusual aspect of the Trident is that its layering capability allows the musician to create one, two or three different sounds with a single key depression. Even more significantly, the use of layering does not reduce the number of polyphonic voices as it does on most other units with layering; the Trident is eight -note polyphonic regardless of whether each key controls one, two or three sounds. The unit has a five - octave (C to C) split keyboard with each of the three instrument sections assignable to either or both halves of the keyboard, and a four -way joystick to control pitch bend and "trill" function. The programmable synthesizer section of the instrument has sixteen user -programmable memories plus three piano presets which are selectable at the push of a button. Func- tionally the synthi section boasts dual VCOs, 24 dB /octave VCFs with variable resonance, tracking and reverse /normal enveloping and full ADSR control per voice.


A relatively new name in synthesizers is SMS, a San Francisco company which just announced the introduction of its Voice 400 programmable lead synthesizer. The Voice 400 stores up to thirty -two user -programmed sounds which may be recalled and digitally displayed at will. The unit comes without keyboard but may be used with any source of 1 Volt /octave control voltages such as keyboards, string controllers, wind controllers, se- quencers or acoustic instruments with pitch -to- voltage converters. For keyboard- oriented musicians who do not have a spare synth keyboard lying around, SMS does of course make a keyboard, the model 430 digita

MAY 1981

keyboard with note assignment and built -in remote control. Functionally, the Voice 400 includes two VCOs with linear frequency modulation, continuous waveshaping, sub -octave and sync capability, a four -pole (24 dB /oc-

tave) multi -mode (HP, LP, BP) voltage controlled filter, two ADSR and one AR envelope generators and a comprehensive modulation section. Another unusual feature of the Voice 400 is the inclusion of an analog delay line in the unit which may be used for flanging, doubling or echo repeats; the delay line is fully programmable like all other functions, and additionally has an external input with mix control to allow delay processing of other in-

struments along with the synthesizer. The delay has a maximum delay of 2200 ms, or twice that as an option.


The latest from Multivox is the MX8100 Digital Sequencer from its Multivox Computer Basic Systems division. The MX8100 is a keyboard controlled sequencer aimed at "live" performance use since the keyboard is always active rather than being strictly for programmable sequences. The unit has a 480 -note capacity, divided into four independent channels which may be accessed individually or in series as indicated by a series of LEDs. An LED array is also provided to display the amount of memory con- sumed. Sequence playback tempo is variable over a 20 -to -1 range and has its own LED display. Portamento controls on the unit allow glide effects to be incorporated into programmed sequences. The unit also has a provision for transposing a sequence during playback simply by depressing a key on the keyboard. The MX8100 inter- faces with most synthesizers on the market thanks to comprehensive and versatile control and gate inputs and outputs, and it may be synchronized with rhythm units or other sequences.


37



Oberheim Electronics has announced a new, updated version of its popular OB -X synthesizer known as the OB -Xa. The new model is an evolu- tionary development of the original OB -X and retains all of that unit's features while adding several worthwhile functions requested by professional musicians. Leading the list of updates is a split keyboard function with programmable split point and balance, allowing the musician to play one sound on the lower portion of the keyboard and another on the upper portion. Another requested function which has been added to the OB -Xa is a doubling mode which allows two sounds to be played with a single key. Other improvements include two -pole and four -pole filters, programmable transposition of either portion of the keyboard, an improved noise generator, an envelope generator for the filter, pitch modulation of VCO 2, a hold footswitch and a new bend and modulation assembly with an independent sine /sawtooth LFD. As befits its technical improvements, the Oberheim OB -Xa also received cosmetic improvements with exciting new graphics and solid walnut end panels.


MUSICAL INSTRUMENT AMPLIFIERS

Multivox has a new line of amplifiers, the Multivox Contenders, whose first two models are lightweight, compact, 50 -watt RMS models for guitar and bass. The guitar model is the P66 Contender amp with its 12 -inch high- efficiency Multivox speaker. The P66 features controls for volume, bass, midrange, treble, distortion, reverb and master volume. The

bass model is the P64 Contender with a special design 15 -inch speaker and controls for volume, bass, midrange, treble and master volume. Both models feature tongue and groove wooden construction covered with heavy duty naugahyde, oversized heatsinks for the power amplifier and circuit breakers for reliable protection.


GUITARS

Taylor Guitars recently announced that its Model 855 12- string guitar (one of eleven 12- string models they offer!) has been improved to make its tone brighter, deeper and richer at any volume from a whisper to a roar. The 855, which has been considered one of the finest 12- strings available, now features choice Indian rosewood back and sides, a Sitka spruce top, an inlaid abalone rosette around the soundhole and an ebony fingerboard. The bridge is also made of ebony and is fitted with a compensated saddle for accurate in- tonation, while the nut is a brass and bone model. A standard feature of Taylor guitars which is unusual among acoustic guitars in general is a re- movable neck with twin adjustable truss rods for easy set -up and service. The neck itself is thin and wide with a low action making the Taylor 855 12- string as easy to play as many 6- string guitars.


A new name in premium quality electric guitars and basses is Veillette- Citron, distributed by Sundown Music. Veillette- Citron refers to its line as the "New Tradition" in the sense that it combines Old World craftsmanship

38

with New World technology. All the instruments utilize the finest woods shaped into perfectly balanced bodies. The designs feature excellent ac- cessibility to the full length of the wide, high- fretted necks. Two -stage and exclusive three -stage humbucking pickups are used for a wide range of sounds. The newest addition to the line (which includes an 8- string bass along with conventional basses and guitars) is a maple bass with a single two -stage pickup and a push -pull staging selector switch built into the volume control.


STANDS, CASES, ETC.

Keyboard players will be pleased to learn of two new stands from Unicord which are designed to hold a large variety of keyboard instruments. The Korg KST -1 and KST -2 Keyboard Stands are strong (600 -pound capacity) yet lightweight (under 13 pounds) folding stands fabricated from 14 -gauge square tubular steel. Rather than separate legs which must be attached, the Korg stands unfold and set up in seconds. Both models rest on non -skid, non- scratch feet with leveling adjusters. The KST -1 is 151/2 inches deep and adjusts from 241/2 inches to 38 inches in width, while the KST -2 is somewhat shallower at 123/4 inches deep but wider, with a 281/2 inches to 453/4 inches range. Height on both models is 261/2 inches.


Cases Incorporated is a protective packaging manufacturer who makes road cases under the Roadrunner name. The latest line of cases from Roadrunner is the Titan line of lightweight cases which are unique in that they are fabricated from .090 inch thick polyethylene plastic rather than the more common but less rugged vulcanized fiber material. Besides being inherently stronger, the plastic Titan material is some 50% thicker than the usual fiber. While Titan cases are not recommended for air or common carrier travel, they are much less expensive than heavy -duty road cases such as Roadrunner's A.T.A. (Air Transport Association) approved cases, and thus are an effective alter- native for local and short -haul travel. Roadrunner's own line of A.T.A. cases are the only ones in the music industry which meet the A.T.A. Category 1

specifications according to Cases, Inc. CIRCLE 32 ON READER SERVICE CARD .47




ELECTRO EI HARMONIX SALE The entire range of ELECTRO.HARMONIX devices is on sale now at WHOLESALE PRICES at leading music stores throughout the world. Now you can get the best sounds at the best prices. Shop around! If none of the stores in your area have these units on sale then you can buy them direct using the coupon below with a 10 day money back guarantee if the units don't blow you away.

MODEL PRODUCT NAME LIST

0225 SLAVE 200 Rackmount 200 Watt $399 00 RMS Power /Slave Amp

0300 VOCODER 14 Matched Band Rack- 799.00 mount Unit

0400 MINISYNTHESIZER 2 lbs.. 5 oc- 249.00 169.00 cave range, full performance capabilities in a battery operated keyboard

2001 LPB -1 Power Booster Can boost 25.00 18.50 your amp power up to 10 times. Make your small amp sound like a Marshall Stack.

1001 LPB -2 Power Booster Same as 33.50 LPB -1 but in a foot operated unit

1005 SCREAMING TREE Treble Booster 33 50 Adds razor sharp bite that cuts

1010 SWITCHBLADE Channel Selector 21.50 instant switching between accessories or amp channels

1300 RTG Random Tone Generator 89.00 36.00 Mellow random scientific music. Par- ticularly effective with Memory Man echoes

2008 MUFF FUZZ Distortion Fuzz with 34.00 edge

2010 5X Junction Mixer Input /Output 14 00 Mixer

3001 CLONE THEORY Chorus effect with 126.00 Vibraflange. Sensational on bass guitar. A fluid orchestral effect

3003 BIG MUFF PI Distortion Sweet vio- 58.00 39.00 lin -like sustaining sound used by Jimi Hendrix

3004 ATTACK EQUALIZER Makes your 89.95 29.50 Gibson -type guitar sound like a Fender Strat

3053 DELUXE BIG MUFF Big Muff & Soul 130 00 89.00 Preacher in one box

3060 GRAPHIC FUZZ Noiseless, dynam- 139.00 100.00 ically sensitive distortion combined with graphic EQ

3075 HOT TUBES Vacuum tube overdrive 94.00 simulator

3800 VOLUME PEDAL Great for tape re- 85.00 verse simulation

4100 DOCTOR Q Envelope Follower -For 55.00 involuted mellow funk lines

4250 BASSBALLS Twin Dynamic Enve- 91 95 lope Follower For Bass Guitar

4300 SILENCER Noise Gate /Line Noise 79 00 Eliminator

4500 SOUL PREACHER Sustainer /Com- 89.00 pressor for long undistorted sustain

4800 SMALL STONE Phase Shifter The 79 00 #1 selling phase shifter in the world

4909 AC /DC 9 VOLT BATTERY 13.50 ELIMINATOR

5100 ELECTRIC MISTRESS Flanger 109.95 Shimmering comb 'ilter sweeps

5150 DELUXE ELECTRIC MISTRESS 129.00 Flanger Used by Pink Floyd

5200 ATTACK DECAY Creates a variety of 199.00 bowed and plucked sounds

5800 BAD STONE Phase Shifter 99.95 5950 DELUXE OCTAVE MULTIPLEXER 199 00

Octave Divider Great for voice or guitar 7100 POLYPHASE Studio phase shifter 199 00

with envelope following mode 7300 GOLDEN THROAT II Voice box with 149.00

mouth tube 7600 10 BAND GRAPHIC EQUALIZER 123.95

with footswitch

SALE

$168.00

299.00

24.50

24.50

16.50

23.50

9.50

79.50

58.00

59.50

33.75

39.95

39.50

49.50

39.95

10.50

69.75

83.50

67.00

58.00 119.00

139.00

109.00

79.50

MODEL PRODUCT NAME

7451 7460

7660 I7U

7811

7850

7860

7900

7950

8000

9203

9390

9550

5300

5310

5320

5330

5350

5360

5370

5380

5385

LIST SALE

DRM -15 E -H Digital Rhythm units with $229.00 $139.00 DRM -32 15 and 32 beats respectively. 299 00 174.00 Programmed by the slickest, most soulful Motown and NYC R &B studio musicians in hundreds of session hours MINI MIXER Four mixable inputs 99.00 4.00 POLYCHORUS With flanging, chorus, slapback echo modes and companding MEMORY MAN Stereo Echo /Chorus/ 269 00 159.00 Ambitron DELUXE MEMORY MAN Echo with 349.00 219.00 Chorus, Vibrato and Companding ECHO 600 600 millisecond delay- 399 00 339.00 Echo /Chorus /Vibrato MICROSYNTHESIZER A sensa- 299.00 189.00 tional multiprocessor for guitar. Outsells all brands of guitar synthesizers in the world combined B ASS MICROSYNTHESIZER De- 299 00 189.00 signed specifically for bass guitar GUITAR SYNTHESIZER Used by 1.495 00 595.00 Steve Howe of YES DOMINO THEORY Sound sensitive 49 95 29.50 light tube 3 PHASE LINER Electronic 39.95 19.00 Necklace CORONA CONCERT Gas Flask 195.00 79.00 E LECTRONIC DRUMS SPACE DRUM Popular disco effect 99 00 59.00 now also used in Reggae PANIC BUTTON Assortment of po- 89 00 35.00 lice siren sounds SONIC BOOMER Tuneable drum 89 00 35.00 over 10 octave range ROLLING THUNDER Low fe- 8900 35.00 quency noise bursts SUPER SPACE DRUM Space drum 129 00 87.00 with modulation capabilities used by the CLASH CRASH PAD Variety of pink noise 129 00 87.00 sweeps CLAP TRACK Hanc clapping drum 149.00 92.00 with tape reverse options SEQUENCER DRUM 8 variable 199 00 119.00 tones in a unique percussion controlled memory unit CLOCKWORKS Controller & Percus- 229.00 119.00 lion Brain

Please ship at SALE price:

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sa MasterCard _7 check total 5

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ELECTRO-HARMONIX-27 W23 STNY-NY10010

DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED CIRCLE 103 ON READER SERVICE CARD For automatic demonstrations call 212. 741-1797



_ MINN __ _ MIMI _ 111111110111 _ _ __ __ _ MIMI _ _ _ _1A_ _ =IBM _ _ _ _ _ UM _ _ =IM _ _ =1=1111111 _ _ _ 111M1111/ _ _

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Recoid g

For most people involved in home recording, musical dreams must be

tempered with economic reality. For- tunately, though, our imagination is not subject to financial restrictions; and better yet, use of our imagination can often alleviate the problems caused by lack of money.

Take 4 -track recording, for example. While not as flexible as 8 -, 16- and 24 -track recording, the fact remains that professional quality tapes can be made on even the humblest four -track setup. But while it is an often stated fact that Sgt. Peppers, Are You Ex- perienced? and many other tremen- dously popular albums were recorded in 4 -track studios, this doesn't mean that simply going into a 4 -track studio and twisting some knobs is going to produce music of the aforementioned quality. What you have to add to that studio is an accessory that is available to anyone at no cost, and yet is still lacking in even some of the best- equip- ped studios: creativity.

Using 4 tracks wisely requires plan- ning, know -how, effort and persist ence. The purpose of this series of articles is to supply the know -how,

40

By Craig Anderton

while your job is to supply the per- sistence and effort. We'll begin our series by describing some tricks that multiply the usefulness of any 4 -track machine; in Part 2, we'll investigate how to use a companion 2 -track machine to good advantage; and in Part 3, we'll discuss the added production complications caused by the use of these techniques.

One other note: we'll restrict ourselves to mono techniques for now. After you've gone 8 track, we can start talking about some really spectacular stereo effects.

Basic 4 -Track Tricks The secret of layering lots of tracks

in a four -track format involves "bouncing" (also called "ping- ponging" ). The basic idea here is to take tracks already recorded on the machine and mix them down onto vacant tracks in the same machine. To clarify this process, let's look at some specific examples.

(1) COMBINING THREE TRACKS into ONE: Let's assume that you have recorded sounds on tracks 1, 2 and 4. You can monitor all these signals from

the playback head, send them to a mixer, and then send the mixer output to tape track 3 (see Figure 1). Thus, the first three recorded tracks will reside in premixed form in track 3. You may then erase tracks 1, 2 and 4 in order to add additional overdubs. This gives you, in effect, six tracks out of a 4 -track recorder. Since the outer edges of tape tend to wear faster than the rest of the tape, most of the time you'll want to leave either track 2 or track 3 open and premix into one of these "inside" tracks; in the following examples, as in this example, we'll assume that you'll be premixing tracks onto track three.

(2) RECORDING ALONG with the PREMIX: As you feed tracks 1, 2 and 4 into the mixer for premixing onto track 3, you may as well use a spare mixer input to mix in another part. Since you'll probably be doing some level juggling on the three previously recorded tracks, this additional part should be something fairly simple (such as a percussion part, synthesizer drone or choral vocal part). By using this technique, you now have the first three tracks plus the overdub residing on track 3, giving a total of four parts on track 3. By recording over tracks 1,

2 and 4, you now have gotten seven tracks out of your 4 track.

(3) ADDING SLAPBACK ECHO: With this variation, you begin by recording two separate parts on any two tracks (say, tracks 1 and 2). Then, as in the previous examples, you monitor these tracks from their respective playback heads and bounce a mix of these two tracks over to track 3. Because you've monitored from the playback heads, track 3 will lag behind tracks 1 and 2 by a fraction of a second (if you want to be precise, the time difference will depend on the distance between the record and playback heads, as well as the tape speed). At 15 ips, this time difference will give a nice, tight, slapback echo. You then bounce tracks 1 and 2 over to track 4, mixing in a bit of the echo sound that was just recorded in track 3 (tracks 1, 2 and 3 should all be monitored from the playback head). This ambience effect is musically useful, and tends to give a cleaner sound than electronic delays. Note, however, that we cannot put three separate parts on track 4 -two separate parts and the slapback echo effect are all that fit.




(4) ADDING "INFINITE LAYER- ING": When you need to get lots of tracks -and I mean lots of tracks -out of a four track. you have to do some unusual things like monitoring tracks in the sync mode. This brings us to an important point about bouncing: a track in the sync mode cannot be bounced to an adjacent track. For example, if track 1 is in sync then you can't bounce it over to track 2. But you can bounce it to track 3 or 4. Similarly, track 2 cannot bounce to 1 or 3; it must bounce to 4. Similar rules apply to tracks 3 and 4.

The reason for this restriction is that there will always be a little leakage between channels in the record head stack. So, if the track you're bouncing picks up some sound from the track on which you're recording and tries to recirculate it, watch out; you've set up a feedback loop, and nasty oscillations can be the result. Pinned VU meters and sore eardrums can also result, but that's another story.

Another problem with infinite layering is that although we can generate many tracks using the following methods, we will also be generating some pretty lo-fi tracks, depending on the sync response of your particular deck. The sync mode usually has poorer high frequency response, an uneven low frequency response and higher noise levels. However, we can help compensate for these problems by recording tracks with enough high frequency boosting to offset the high frequency loss. If we boost the highs above and beyond the amount of boosting re-

quired to overcome the high frequency loss, we can even cut the highs on playback a bit to help reduce the tape hiss. Also, recording tracks as "hot" as possible when we know that they will be monitored in the "sync" mode can help keep the sound quality up.

INS OUT

INS OUT

M -Or

2 X -0. E

3

R

4

4 TK

Figure 1

MAY 1981

Record timing reference

2

3

4

4 TK

Figure 2 Step 1

1st overdub

2nd overdub --to. 2

3

4

4 TK

Figure 2 - Step 2

Now to infinite layering (see Figure 2). Let's suppose that you want to-have a massive guitar sound and massive keyboard sound on a basic track. For instance, seven tracks of guitars and four tracks of keyboards. Sound impossible? Well, it isn't. Record your drum track or other timing reference on track 3 for Step 1. Next, while monitoring track 3 in the sync mode, record your first guitar part on track 1

and your second guitar part on track 2.

Put tracks 1 and 2 in the sync mode and bounce them (along with a third guitar part played "live ") onto track 4 (Step 3).

Note that we've observed the rule about no bouncing into an adjacent track while in sync mode (we're bouncing 1

and 2 onto 4), and because we're monitoring in the sync mode, tracks 1

and 2 will stay in sync with the drum part on track 3.

Now we have three guitar parts on track 4. For Step 4, put track 4 in sync, play the fourth guitar part along with it and mix both of these onto track 1.

Record the fifth guitar part on track 2

while monitoring track 1 in sync, then put tracks 1 and 2 in sync, mix in the sixth guitar part and bounce the whole mess over to 4 again. Finally, put track 4 in sync, mix in part number seven and bounce the combination over to track 1. We now have seven guitar tracks on track 1. If that's not a

3rd overdub "live" pert

2

3

4 TK

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Figure 2 Step 3

2

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4 TM

Live pert 4th overdub

M

x

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Figure 2 - Step 4

massive enough guitar sound, you can continue this process of bouncing until you run out of patience, lose your sanity or the quality of sound turns to mud.

And what about adding the four keyboard parts? Simple. Record part 1

on track 2, mix track 2 (in sync) along with part 2 (done "live ") onto track 4.

Put track 4 in sync and mix it with part 3 (again done "live ") back onto track 2 and, finally, put track 2 in sync, mix part 4 in "live" and send these back to track 4 again. You now have four keyboard parts on track 4, the drums on track 3 and seven guitar parts on track 1. You can then premix these onto track 2 (this time, monitor all three tracks off the playback heads to avoid oscillation and preserve higher fidelity).

41



Record fifth guitar part

2

3

4

4 TK

Figure 2 - Step 5

Sixth guitar, hue' part

2

3

4

4 TK

M

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Figure 2 - Step 6

Are we finished yet? No, not at all. We can get really outrageous and begin the process all over again by bouncing tracks 3 and 4, in sync, back and forth onto track 1. For example, we can record something on track 3, bounce it with a new part onto track 1, bounce this track plus another "live" part back onto track 3 and continue going back and forth until we've built up a number of parts on track 3. We then can start the whole process over again with another bunch of parts by bouncing back and forth between tracks 4 and 1 until we have another group of layered tracks on track 4. And, we still have track 1 left over! This means that we can premix tracks 2, 3 and 4 (from the playback heads) onto track 1 and end up with well over twenty tracks on track 1.

Or, we can simply leave everything as is and keep track 1 open for additional overdubs. With these techniques, we literally can squeeze dozens of tracks out of our four -track recorder.

At this point, you might be wonder- ing about the musicality of layering parts on this massive a scale. While this is something that you wouldn't want to do all the time, if you are creating choir effects, banks of

keyboards (string synthesis, anyone ?)

or percussion sections you might find that twenty tracks is a necessity, not a luxury. Again, the tips about keeping levels high to minimize noise and boosting the highs while recording apply in all these layering situations. Also, if you don't have noise reduction, by this time you'll wish you did.

Another point about layering we haven't mentioned yet is that you can choose to start layering at a relatively late point in the recording process. For example, suppose that you had recorded guitar, bass and drums on tracks 1 -3, then bounced these over (monitoring off the playback head) with a "live" keyboard overdub to track 4. If you then wanted to add a vocal choir, you could bounce back and forth in sync between tracks 1 and 3 until you had the needed number of voices residing on, say, track 3. You would still have tracks 1 and 2 left over for something like a lead vocal and lead guitar part.

(5) THE CHEAPO ECHO UNIT: As you record a track, you can take a por-

2

3

4

4 TK

7th overdub "Itve" part -0.

M

X

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Figure 2 - Step 7

First keyboard part

2

3

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Figure 2 - Step 8

Keyboard overdub 2

"live" part

2

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M

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Figure 2 - Step 9

2

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Keyboard overdub 3. "live" pari

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Figure 2 - Step 10

tion of the signal appearing on that track's playback head and mix it back in with the original signal. Regulating the mix of this signal determines the depth of the echo effect as well as the number of repeats.

However, a word of caution is in order. As in the case of any echo unit, we've set up a recirculating path (in other words, the echo comes off the playback head, gets recorded on the tape at the record head, passes by the play head again, returns to the record head and so on). With any system of this type, there is the possibility of feedback if you recirculate too much of the signal; so, mix it in very conservatively.

(6) THE CHEAPO PROCESSED ECHO UNIT: There's no reason why the echo signal mentioned above has to be fed straight into the mixer. Why not put it through a filter so that each echo becomes more and more filtered? Or




The continuing story of TDK sound achievement.

Inside to die -cas- aluminum cassette housing, TDK brings together the tull force of its revolutionary tape technology. Pare Ten contains the ultimate mechanical aerfection of the Reference S :andard Mechanism. Arcund its precision seamless rol ers and Fast its dual spring pressure pad 'lows TDK's unique me:al -alloy tape. It's composed of ultra -fine metal particles called FINAVINX, whose recording capacity is four times as great as TDK's Super Avilyn. A special po ymer coating makes this metal virtually impervious to oxidation.

To sharply define the difference between this cassette and any other, TDK encased it w thin two clear sheets of plastic. These sheets are thirty per::ent harder than the plastic used in ordinary cassettes. Die -cut, transparent liner sheets maintain a physical clarity that's matched by the crystal clarity of

sound. Six precision screws seal the shells and re ;ist vib-ation. This state -cf -the -art .tassette is called MA -R. The effect is futuristic. Eut TDK dares nothing merely for effet :.

For example, Patt Ten -las the structural strength to with>tand warpage, temperature, and humidity changes. it situations where stab lily and

stress ate critical factors, as in potables or car stereos, a bump in the road cart throw a curve n the music MA -Ris warranted to perform un- interruptedly.

Because TDk has ar unswerving commi :ment to music. It is the drivin3 force behind every technic) ogicai breakthrough. Part Ten pais as importarrt a rcle in the MA -R's perfprmance. as its

Ati.,c rn bled TDK MA -R cassette.

Copyright 1981 fDh E ectronics Corp.., Garden City, N.Y. 11530

unique metal -ape. T--e added

s- ability of structure ans mechanism allows

a more precise reprouuctior o- rr usic. TDK firmly believes a srr all cassette is governed by the Barr e laws as a large orchestra. Music is the sc m at it= parts.

CIRCLE 670N REEr.DEF S'_RYICE CAiC

The Amazing Musk Machine.



You've already purchased the equipment... Now, how are you going to mount it?

Contact: HSC Our "System 700 -111" enclosures and rack mounting hardware are quickly becoming the packaging standard for the audio /video recording industry. Why? Look at the features and judge for yourself.

"Similar components are used throughout allowing you to update your system now or years from now . . . no solid wood parts to be discarded every time you make a change...

`TBM (Triple Bay Mainframes) are available for all Tascam, Tangent, Tapco & Sound -

workshop mixers ... "Semi custom changes available to suit your needs .. .

"Constructed of 1/8" aluminum and Formica covered particle board, providing high strength and low weight ...

"Accessories such as turntable mounts, producers desks, slide out shelf s, drawers and our new padded armrest allow easy customization .. .

"Outboard equipment cabinets such as the DVR and STE allow complete system capability.

"All units are factory assembled, then knocked down to cut freight cost .. .

"Simple screw together assembly required to set up .. . * Off the shelf availability of over 300 different types of rack mount kits and mounting hardware allows one stop shopping.

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Now that you've purchased the equipment ... contact HSC to mount it!

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46

In- studio or on- location from a whisper to the roar of a full -blown rock concert, nothing can overload our MD 421. Nothing.

SENKHEISER ELECTRONIC CORPORATION

10 West 37th Street, New York. NY 10018 (212) 239-0190

Manufacturing Plant: BissendorflHannover. West Germany © 1980, Sennheiser Electronic Corporation (N.Y.)


Keyboard overdub 4, "live'' perl

2

4 TK

M

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Figure 2 - Step 11

through a pitch transposer to create some Doppler effect echoes? But why am I simply telling you all these secrets? Go into the studio, warm up your four track, stick a bunch of stuff in the echo path and make note of the more interesting combinations for future reference.

(7) ADDING AMBIENCE to PRE- MIXES the EASY WAY: We need not restrict ourselves to adding echo to a single track; we can use the above techniques to dress up a premix as well. Taking our classic situation of premixing tracks 1, 2 and 4 (from the playback heads) onto track 3, we can pick up some signal from track 3's playback head, run it through reverb or echo and then mix the reverb or echo output in at the same time as tracks 1, 2 and 4. The end result is a nice pre -delay effect (where the reverb kicks in a fraction of a second after the signal being rever- berated) without having to spend a ton of bucks on some kind of analog or digital delay, or using another tape machine.

This concludes our cornucopia of tracks involving a single machine. As you can see, we've extended our 4 track to generate 24 tracks and beyond, got an echo unit for free, added pre -delay to our reverb system and a whole lot more -just by using equipment already on hand. Imagine what we could do with some extra tools, such as an extra tape deck...but that will have to wait until next month, when we get into part two of this series on four - track production tricks.

Copyright 1981 by Craig Anderton




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LQOn Russell

"11,1Ligiff znce Leon Russell first strayed from his early upbringing in

classical music in the early 1950s and began playing in Oklahoma night clubs, he has had one of the most varied and fascinating careers in modern music.

Russell formed his own band at 14. A few years later he became a member of Jerry Lee Lewis' road band. By age 21, he had already relocated to the West Coast and established himself as a top- flight session piano player. In this capacity, he worked extensively with such producers as Phil Spector and Gary Paxton. He played on sessions with dozens of artists of the day, including The Righteous Brothers, Jan and Dean, Glen Campbell, Gary Lewis ( "This Diamond Ring "), Ike and Tina Turner and The Byrds.

By the late 1960s, Russell had built the first of the eleven recording studios he has had over the years, and he began venturing into production; he first produced LPs for Joe Cocker and Delaney and Bonnie, among others. Throughout the 1970s, he continued to do session work and occasional arranging for such popular acts as The Rolling Stones,

by Bob Allen

George Harrison, Ringo Starr, B.B. King, Dave Mason, Steve Winwood and Nilsson. He also began flourishing as a songwriter; and over the years, he has written numerous hits for himself and for other artists. A few of these are: "Delta Lady" (Joe Cocker), "This Mas- querade "(George Benson), "A Song For You" (Willie Nelson), and his own "Tight Rope," "Hummingbird" and "Goin' Back To Tulsa. "

In 1970, Russell formed his own record label, Shelter, and built a recording complex in his native Oklahoma. To- day, his Paradise record label is head- quartered in Burbank, California. His present facilities there include three audio studios and one mobile video unit. All of his audio studios (two of which are mobile) have 40 -track recording capability -which Russell helped pioneer five or six years ago. His mobile video unit is also one of a kind, having the capability of controlling by computer, seven Bosch- Fernseh video machines for editing, as well as multi -track capabilities for the initial recording.

Recently, Russell also began ex- perimenting with a new musical corn-



bination. When Modern Recording &

Music recently spoke to him in Nash- ville, Tennessee, he was in the midst of a tour with The Newgrass Reviva4 a pro-

gressive, somewhat experimental, bluegrass ensemble, which was serving as his road band Between shows, Russell spoke about this new musical

collaboration, his on -going experimentation with the mobile aspects of both audio and video recording and his own long career.

Modern Recording & Music: How did your association with The Newgrass Revival come about?

Leon Russell: They opened a show for me a couple of years ago, and I heard through a mutual friend that they had been playing one of my tunes. So they started opening regularly for me. We actually started playing together this past year. We did another two months of touring just before Christmas.

MR &M: Some of the songs you played tonight had some very unusual fusions of musical styles -like a bluegrass version of "Kansas City."

LR: People have musical prejudices, and they often don't realize that there are many similar kinds of music that are normally thought of as being diverse. And a lot of times, we mix it up. People often don't really realize what the connections are. They don't really pick them up.

MR &M: How do you think a bluegrass traditionalist such as Bill Monroe would react to the type of material that you and The Newgrass Revival are playing?

LR: I don't know if Bill Monroe has seen this or not. I'm sure some of it would grate on his nerves a little bit! (Laughs) But I would think that he would like it more than not like it, because he's sort of a time player himself.

I think of bluegrass music as a European music, taking it as far back as you can go. It sort of fermented in the mountains (of the U.S.), but I

can see Elizabethan bards and minstrels in there, too. And I like to put a little African influence in it as well, coming up from the other direction, South America, Brazil...

MR &M: There particularly seems to be a lot of stress in

your arrangements, which is especially evident on the interplay between your piano and electrified mandolin.

LR: Yeh. I like that. The mandolin, at least from Bill Monroe, has always sort of had the responsibility for the downbeats. And I'm playing the upbeats (on the piano).

MR &M: The group has such a full bottom sound to it that it was midway through the set before I realized that there were no drums on stage. It's hard to tell they're missing.

LR: Well, it's closer to being authen- tic that way -whatever that means. I mean, we were kind of excited about the idea that you could generate that much power and not have any drums. A lot of people, I think, all they can hear is the drums. And if the drums aren't turned up real loud, they don't know where the beat is. And it's probably time to change that for audiences.

MR &M: How do you manage to achieve such a full sound without drums?

LR: Everybody plays loud at the

same time! (Laughs/ And everybody plays soft at the same time too!

MR &M: There was one percussion instrument on stage. What was that?

LR: I call it a cabasa. There's a Nigerian name for it [asuche], but it doesn't come to mind. Cabasa is a sort of South American name, I believe. Beaded gourd is what it is. [Thanks to the folks at Latin Percussion, Inc. for providing us with the right answers - Ed ]

MR &M: What about the Moog synthesizer? How does that fit into the overall sound?

LR: That's not normally part of The Newgrass Revival. It's Jim Price playing. We were going to have some horn players on this tour, but our horn player arrangements kind of fell out, and we lost a few guys. So he's playing synthesizer. We're going to add some more horns, so...(Smiles /...all you horn players, start comin' around!

MR &M: I couldn't help but notice that your show is heavily balanced away from your own original material.

You really mix it up: A Beatles medley, some old Hank Williams songs, a couple of Rolling Stones numbers, a little traditional bluegrass...But there weren't many of your own hits at all.

LR: There aren't a great number of my hits anyway! (Laughs) I don't know. There's a couple of them that come to mind (that I didn't play) that just don't have in- digenous bluegrass connections. It sort of changes, really. We have our favorite ones that we play for a while, and then it changes.

In many ways, I hate being tagged as a writer, because I like to sing other people's songs. But when you get tagged as a writer, everybody expects you to sit




up there and just sing your own songs. But it's more fun for me to just sing whatever I want to.

MR &M: What model Yamaha is the piano that you play?

LR: It's a Yamaha CP -70. It has a grand [piano] sound to it that comes from the action. That's why they've got it laid down (designed) like that. I'm a grand piano player. I'm not a Ham- mond player and I'm not a synthesizer player. I play grand piano. And, some of the other ones (electric pianos) just don't have the right sort of precise, measured resistance that a grand piano has from all that gravity interlock, which is what they put in these. I think the sound is mostly electronic, but the way the hammer hits the strings, and the time from when I hit it to the time it hits the strings, feels like a grand. So I

can use a lot more of my technique than I could on a Wurlitzer, for example.

MR &M: How long have you been using the CP -70?

LR: About three or four years. MR &M: What did you use before

that? LR: I carried a Steinway around. MR &M: That must have been more

difficult. LR: Yes. It's difficult to

weighs a lot and it's hard around. Now, it's a whole thing. The Yamaha stays in tune much better.

MR &R: How much of your own equipment do you carry on the road?

LR: I take the Peavey amps. I didn't for a while, but really, they're the only ones that work well for me. Some- times I have trouble finding them. I carry a piano too, but I don't use it on stage because it's tied into my mobile home. One thing I like about 'em (Yamahas) is that they're all quality -controlled, and they all play pretty much the same way. I think a lot of grand players are switching to them...I hate to say all this good stuff about 'em! (Laughs). Because they charge me too much money for 'em!

mic. It to carry different

MR &M: So you actually drive yourself around the country in your own mobile home when you're on tour?

LR: That's right! I drive mah big rig from coast to coast! (Laughs) I really enjoy travelling that way.

MR &M: Tell me something about the work you've been doing in the video field.

LR: We have a seven -camera mobile video truck that you can use to do a complete show on location. It has editing capabilities. And to go along with that, we have a Continental Trail- ways audio bus that has a Harrison console in the back of it. And we've done some experimentation to see if you can actually make records or dub down while you're going down the road.

One of the things about being on the road that is sort of boring for me is that you get to play a couple of hours and then the rest of the time there is not a lot happening. I'd like to do more experimentation with recording while I'm out on the road. I'm not utilizing that (audio) unit right now (on the current tour), but it's gonna be great! There's just a certain feeling about cutting a song in a truckstop in Arizona and overdubbing it in Georgia and so forth.

MR &M: I understand you do most of

your recording on a 40 -track Stevens machine.

LR: Yeh, there's two of them on that (audio) bus. Those are the principal machines that I use when I'm working. If somebody wants something else, we've got 24- tracks, though. I bought my first (Stevens) almost six years ago. I had, I think, the second one ever made. Then I bought another one a couple of years ago. They work great for me. After I bought my first one, there weren't any of them around for years. And then, the producer, Roy Thomas Baker bought three or four. So there's a few people who have them.

People, for a long time, for years, wouldn't believe that they would work. They figured they had to be too noisy or the fidelity wouldn't be right. But everybody that actually came and used them said it recorded what they heard.

MR &M: They're very compact, aren't they?

LR: Yeh. I've got two of them sitting side by side, and they're slightly smaller than a Studer 24- track.

MR &M: What appeals to you most about having 40 -track capability?

LR: Well, there's a lot of things I've learned from essentially having lived in the studio for the last 15 years - I've always had one in my house or right close. One thing that I found out

to be true is that if somebody walks in and puts a part on [tape] and then says, `Well, I

can do it better than that!' sometimes they can't. So I'm very reluctant to erase anything. That's what I like about that machine. If somebody wants to do a whole bunch of different performances, I can just go ahead and put 'em all on there or just pick out the ones that I

like. MR &M: Did you use your

mobile units for recording your new LP?

LR: Yeh. It was recorded in a place called Perkins Palace in Pasadena, Calif- ornia. We made a deal with Pioneer; the "live" album will come out on videodisc. And they'll sell it at stores

MAY 1981 51



where they have Pioneer videodiscs. MR &M: You've made some other

television shows with your video unit, haven't you?

LR: We made a couple of shows. We made one with J.J. Cale and one with Willie Nelson while he and I were recording the One For The Road LP. Although, when we did that, the mobile unit wasn't yet built, so we just shot with a bunch of cameras. We still haven't sold those, and I don't know if we're going to sell them. I was going to do a series of shows, but when I started playing with these guys [Newgrass Re- vival], I started renting out my video facility. I'm just going to rent it until I

get through doing this. The theory behind the way the

mobile video thing is built is like a six- track video truck from an audio viewpoint. In television, normally a show is shot with three cameras, and they cut it and switch it while it is being done,

and then block it out. I built this thing to have what in audio would be the equivalent of six tracks. Therefore, you can simultaneously shoot it from six points of view, and then mix it down just like a record. And you can go over it again and again and get the exact mix that you want.

The idea is that -and, really, people have done it before -it is very similar to the starting days of multi -track in audio. But instead of having one audio recorder, there are six (video) machines.

MR &M: How did you first get started with video?

LR: I was always intrigued with [comedian] Ernie Kovacs and people like that, who did their own television shows. Kovacs was very big on the technology. Also, investing in video equipment just seemed a small amount of money to have that broad communication potential around the world.

MR &M: As far as audio recording goes, do you find that there is a great deal of difference between "live" and studio recording?

LR: For me, I do a whole different thing when I'm performing in front of an audience. I sing a whole different way. I have a different mental attitude. This new record we have coming out is "live," and I think it's better, in terms of the singing, than a lot of albums I've done. It's the idea of having to make it right and you only have one chance. You can't fix it in the mix or anything. I like that structure a lot.

MR &M: Back in your early days, how did you happen to make the transition from session man to producer?

LR: A guy called Gary Paxton (who did "Alley Oop," and is now an eminently successful writer /producer/ artist, working predominantly in gospel music in Nashville) was very instrumental in inspiring me to make




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The keyboard consists of 13 rocker switches (8 white and 5 black) to represent a full octave. For descriptive purposes each white switch is represented by a note from the C -major scale. The black keys represent the 1/2 tones between the notes of the scale. Each of the rocker switches can toggle either up or down. By depressing each white switch in the up direction, the harmony produced by the DL -5 will increase in a major scale -like fashion. Similarly, by depressing each white switch in the down direction, the harmony will decrease in major scale -like fashion.

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Specifications Frequency Response

+1, -3 dB

Dynamic Range A- Weighted C- Weighted (broadband)

Headroom above 0 dB

Inputs Unbalanced (Phone) Impedance

b5 4 3 m3 2 b2 1

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20 to 15kHz Gi no pitch- shift(1)

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Shipping Weight 12 lbs (5.5 kg)

(1) Frequency Response varies accordingly with % of pitch -shift within 20 to 15kHz.

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records. Some of the first sessions I

ever played were for him. I mean, I'd made some records back in Tulsa, but I never was really serious about it until that time. It was just inspiring to see the guy (Paxton) working. He was rapid and he had a lot of ideas and a lot of execution. He'd do ten projects in a week. It was fun to watch him.

MR &M: Do you feel that production has gotten simpler or more difficult over the years?

LR: I don't know. That's one of the things I like about Nashville. Here, I

can walk into any number of studios with any number of musicians and it would be great music, just right now, because they do it every day. That's the whole secret, I guess. It's really hard, on this modern equipment, to mess it up. In terms of distortion, for instance, there's so much room that you've really got to not be paying attention to make bad recordings. Whereas ten years ago, that was not

the case. You had to work at it to get it to sound presentable. So...as far as I'm concerned, the technology has made it easier.

MR &M: What other facilities do you have in Burbank?

LR: Well, we've got Studio C, which is the ground studio, the Continental bus with the Harrison console and then there's studio B, which is a small video stage. I'm also building a 40 -track API console into a 22 -foot Bobtail truck.

MR &M: Do you rent that equipment out?

LR: We've just started renting it out in the past couple of weeks. I've built eleven studios in my life, and this is really the first one -with the possible exception of the Shelter studio in Tulsa, which was sort of a commercial studio -that I've ever had that was open to the public. I've always avoided it, because I wanted it free for my own use, to experiment or whatever. So that might get to be a problem. But it's a

very costly proposition to have that stuff just sitting there. It has to be used at /east 12 hours a day, just to break even.

MR &M: Why didn't you bring one of your mobile units with you on this tour?

LR: Well, we're really not making enough money this time to do it. Because it's expensive. In order to do it, you've got to mobilize about twenty people in addition to the twelve or four- teen who are out here now. There's just not enough money to do that. If we have a hit record, we probably will bring it.

MR &M: It seems as if, stylistically, your new show with The Newgrass Revival is sort of a big change for you.

LR: I've been playing what I'm playing now for the last couple of years. I

don't know. I never pay much attention to styles. I always do certain styles at different times, really. And this is what I'm doing right now.

Whatever's fun!

CIRCLE 114 ON READER SERVICE CARD 57



Profile:

The music world knows Phil Collins best as the drummer and vocalist for the English progressive rock ensemble Genesis. It also knows Collins as a founding member of and part -time drummer with the late, great fusionists Brand X. Furthermore, Collins has gained a reputation as an experienc- ed sessioneer whose eclectic list of credits includes former Genesis mates Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett, American bard Elliott Murphy, Brian Eno and Robert Fripp, jock - rockers Thin Lizzy and most recently, avant -garde folk singer - guitarist John Martyn. The world might know the 30-year -old Collins as a child actor and model who played the Artful Dodger in a London production of Oliver Twist and hit the big screen as a crowd extra in A Hard Day's Night ( "I was one of the few people who got paid to see the Beatles," he cracks).

But the Phil Collins heard on his debut solo album Face Value on Atlantic is none of the above. Produced by Collins and engineered by Hugh Padgham (who will also do the

58

honors on the next Genesis LP), Face Value is a tour de soul in which Collins fuses hard- boiled funk, R &B cool, Eno -esque daring and rock & roll heart in ten new originals (plus a jazzed - up take of Genesis' "Behind the Lines" and the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows"), many of which he wrote in the aftermath of his traumatic divorce two years ago. He recorded much of the album at home by himself, but also called on such super session help as the Earth Wind & Fire horns, Eric Clap - ton, Genesis guitarist Daryl Stuermer, bassist Alphonso Johnson, violinist L. Shankar and arranger Arif Mardin.

Truer to Genesis in spirit than execution, Face Value is really Phil Collins taken at just that -face value. "I'm sure there are people who are expecting either a Genesis album or a Brand X album," concedes the diminutive but hyperactive Collins, holding court dressed in his jogging suit in a swank Manhattan hotel room. "All I can say is, if they don't like the album, then they really don't like what I do with Genesis."




Modern Recording & Music: Your debut as a solo artist is certainly full of surprises. There is a strong R&B element, funk bits like the new arrangement of "Behind the Lines," and the at- mospheric Eno -like quality of the re-

cording. In fact, it certainly doesn't sound like a Genesis solo album, compared to Tony or Mike's.

Phil Coffins: I think the trouble with Mike and Tony's albums- although I

really didn't get into Tony's too much -is that you could see right off that it was a solo album syndrome; that polarizes what they do. You could see with Tony's album what he puts into the band; the same with Mike's. And in a way, you can see an element of what I

put into the band on mine. But with me, it's the black funk side,

the R&B element. I consider that the strongest things I've ever done with the band [Genesis] to be things like "Los Endos" and "Wot Gorilla," some of the more fusion things, although there isn't much fusion on my album. "Hand in Hand" is about as close at it gets.

MR &M: There is a fusion element there, but not in the strict jazz -rock sense.

PC: I see it -if categories are necessary -as a black R &B album. I actually cut it with Mike Reece in L.A. I

was having a lot of trouble getting it to sound on record the way it sounded on tape. The blokes I used in England didn't see where I was coming from. They were doing too much to the tape, whereas the tape was great flat.

So in the end, I just rang up Mike Reece. I checked out all the album covers by R &B artists I liked, found out he was common to all the records I liked and said, "He's the man I want."

MR &M: There is also a certain mood, an atmosphere of understated drama, an earthy quality to the album. This is in contrast to the "typical" Genesis sound.

PC: I'm very proud of the way this album was done. I've got an eight -track studio at home. During the course of making my own tapes for demo purposes, I had also done a Brand X album -we did a track called "Soho" at my house. We transferred that track from eight track to twenty -four and it worked.

I thought, "Hang on," and went back to my demos and re-did a couple of things. In fact, everything on my album was recorded there first. I did all the keyboards myself at home along with a

MAY 1981

drum machine. When I got into the studio, I took off all the drum machine patterns and re-did them with acoustic instruments so it sounded warmer, not so wooden. But I kept all the keyboard sections. On "Hand in Hand," all the piano, drum machine and synthesizer parts were done at home. On "I Missed Again," the piano was done at home. "Thunder and Lightning" started off being done at home, but I replaced those original home parts with studio takes because the studio material sounded better.

MR &M: How great was the tempta- tion to simply do the album at home all by yourself?

PC: That's what I wanted to do originally. But of course, when you start with an eight -track and start mixing down to two, you start losing quality. Although the Beatles and George Mar- tin knew how to do it, I didn't. I figured, cut your losses. Keep it at eight tracks and just overdub another sixteen on a twenty -four track.

MR &M: So you really preserve that living room intimacy but with sharp studio clarity.

PC: Yeah, you get the basic feel. The foundations are emotion and spirit, being in the right place at the right time. Even in the mixing stages, we took my limiters from my eight track into the studio and used them. We used the MXR delay and my home mic. Forget all about the good shit. We went with the basic stuff.

MR &M: I find it rather unusual that as someone who is a drummer you would use a drum machine so much.

PC: Well, I'm rather surprised myself. I don't like drum machines to sound like drum machines. When Genesis was in Japan, Roland came up to us and showed us these drum machines. They were the first three off the production line. Tony wanted one, Mike wanted one, and I said, "I don't want one; I'm a drummer." But Tony said, "Why not get one to see what it's like? If you don't like it, the band can have it." So I took it home and there realized what it could do.

Take "If Living is Easy," for instance. That is so slow that you couldn't get a drummer to play that slow. I first did it on the drum machine, and it was peculiar because I tried to re-do that part in the studio and couldn't get it the same tempo. It was either a little slow or a little too fast.

And because you're playing along with the drum machine, you leave a lot

of gaps because the drum machine fills them. Also, when you take the drum machine out, it's an incredibly spacious part. I like playing with the drum machine because it's helped me simplify my playing. It's made me more solid.

MR &M: Did you use the same drum kit on your solo album that you usually use in the studio with Genesis?

PC: Well, on the Duke album, I used two kits, two Premier kits. One was a concert tom kit and the other was a double -headed kit. They each had eight toms. But on various tracks, sometimes I'll use four toms, sometimes six, sometimes eight. I've made a deliberate attempt to change drum kits and the sizes of kits from track to track.

On my album, ninety -nine percent of the material was the black concert tom kit. The Brand X sessions, I used the double -headed kit. For the album I just did with John Martyn, I used the double- headed kit because they're rounder headed. But on some sessions, where you need to be a bit harder, the concert tom kit is what I use.

MR &M: What about the eight -track machine you used at home for the solo LP?

PC: It's a Brenell and the desk mixer I used is a sixteen -in and eight -out Allen & Heath.

MR &M: Did you pick it up specifically for home use?

PC: Yes, the machine is a one -inch eight track, one of the better eight - tracks around.

MR &M: Did you keep any of the vocals you recorded at home or were they all re -done in the twenty -four track studio?

PC: I re-did all the vocals, but I used the same mic, a Beyer [M] 88, for everything, I think. There was one track where I nearly used the home vocals, but to get on all the keyboards I wanted once the track got past the demo stage, I needed all the tracks I'd used for vocals. I didn't want to mix it down, so I just had two stereo Prophets, stereo Fender [Rhodes], stereo piano and drum machine.

MR &M: In addition to recording at home, you used the Townhouse studio in London and Village Recorder in Los Angeles. How much recording was done in L.A.?

PC: That was the horns and vocals. Stephen Bishop did his vocal thing there. The horns and Daryl Stuermer's guitar also were done there. The vocals were actually split down the middle bet-

59



ween England and L.A. I did lots of versions of vocals in different places.

I just did it when I felt like it. "In the Air Tonight" was done in England, "The Roof is Leaking" was done in England, too. I had a bash at nearly everything there, I think. But there were some things I couldn't do in England simply because I hadn't written the the words yet. I just did lots of versions and just picked the best one. Like, "I Missed Again," I did that in America. And I brought the Beyer M88 with me.

MR &M: Having finished the album, is there anything on it that you wish you had done differently?

PC: It's best the way it is. There was one thing on it I was of two minds about. That was the track "You Know What I Mean." For ages, it just lived on its own with piano and voice and to some people it was stronger that way. But then I asked Arif Mardin to do a string arrangement for it and he came up with a lovely string arrangement. I

was so taken with it, with having natural strings on the album, that I was tempted to use it.

MR &M: That arrangement is actually quite dramatic without sounding over- bearing.

PC: Right. You're almost expecting the drums and bass to come in with the chorus and they don't. I think it's stronger because of that. But I think if I

had the time over again, I might have left the strings off, lovely as they are. Maybe it would have been more personal as piano and voice.

MR &M: How did your mixing sessions differ from those you do with Genesis?

PC: On my album, we did lots and lots of fast mixes because the project was basically my way of rebelling against all those things I don't like. With Genesis, however, with three people or with any band, when you're mixing a song you've got three people to satisfy as well as the producer. By the time you get around to the end of the day, you've heard the song so many bloody times you can't face it anymore. You just want to get it mixed. Consequently, that becomes the mix, the definitive version of that song. I don't like that. What we did with my album was meticulously mix everything once. Then Hugh and I went back and did three or four of another, two more mixes of the same tune, and so on. By the time we were finished we would have two or three reels of '/4 -inch tape of

"I've never felt like the poor boy in the band, but now I

really do feel like I've proven myself, that I've proved

my ideas are worthwhile."

every song. Then we just chose the best one.

Also, with my album, I put the voice on very early, so there was always space for the voice and everything else had to fit in with the voice. With Genesis, the voice has to fit on top of this huge arrangement; it can work, but it sounds like I'm on the other side of the fence. Because there's no singer in Genesis when we rehearse, we get this huge sound and the vocals come in, sort of like, "Hello in there, is there any room for me ?" I feel- theoretically and ideally -that is wrong. So I tried here to do. it the way I believe is right.

MR &M: Genesis has co-produced its recent albums with engineer David Hentschel. But how did it feel wearing both the producer's and the artist's hats on your own album?

PC: I enjoyed it because to me it wasn't really producing an album. It was just me taking my music, my thing, one stage further. I felt very embarras- sed about the word "producer" because I feel it was more like directing. That's really what I did with all the players that came in -and sometimes it caused friction.

John Giblin [bassist on four of the tracks] is a very good friend of mine, and because of that he thought he could come in and play whatever he wanted. But I had my idea of what I wanted and I told him. In the end, some tracks he didn't get together at all. Even the horn parts, I'd hum the parts on a cassette tape, give it to the horn section. They would come in the next day and play them. Daryl I let loose because I didn't really know what I wanted from guitar.

There were very few points on my album when there was more than one person in the studio. "Behind the Lines" was done as a trio. Me, Daryl and [bassist] Alphonso [Johnson] did it as a group. And the horns were done as

a section. But everything else was done one -piece, although it doesn't sound like that.

MR &M: Have you tried any other production? Would you like to do more?

PC: The son of the owner of my local pub has a punk band which I let use my studio. I produced three or four tracks for them to flog around as demos. Simon Townshend's band On The Air asked me to produce their album, but when they asked I didn't have the time. In additon, John Martyn's asked me to produce his next album.

MR &M: How would you approach producing?

PC: All you gotta do is believe in what the bloke is doing, to be able to tell the artist, "I know you can do better." It's more of a coaching thing.

MR &M: How do you think the experience of making your solo album will be reflected in future Genesis records?

PC: Actually, there has been a difference in the last year. There's been a lot of water under the bridge with these last two Genesis albums. The sound isn't all that different, but the attitudes are.

Like "Turn It On Again" on Duke. Originally, it was a slower, straight 4/4 beat, but I said, "No, no." I speeded it up, added some accents. And it took me a long time to convince Tony and Mike that it should be that fast.

Now, with the way my album sounds, without saying anything, Tony -for example -has more respect for what I say. If I say something like, "No, that doesn't sound good" or "That third chord there doesn't sound right," instead of saying, "What's wrong with it ?" he'll say, "Yeah, maybe you're right, let's change it."

I've never felt like the poor boy in the band, but now I really do feel like I've proven myself, that I've proved my ideas are worthwhile. 47




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The Carrotron C920B1 Noise Fader

Noise gates have been around for quite some time in recording studios; they not only help cut down on noise, but can also produce special effects. Now performing musicians are also getting turned on to noise gates in order to help quiet overly noisy effects, or to silence the cumulative noise that results from putting a number of effects in series. However, noise gates are unfortunately not panaceas, and have their own quirks and problems; as a result, there have been several attempts to improve the basic noise gate circuitry. One of the more recent results of these efforts is the Carrotron C920B1 Noise Fader. Before we get into what makes this unit different from the traditional noise gate, though, we need to briefly review how noise gates work in general.

BASIC NOISE GATE THEORY. A noise gate com- prises two separate circuit blocks (see Figure 1). One block is a variation on the amplifier; this particular type of amplifier is designed so that it can be electronically squelched if desired, thereby preventing a signal from reaching the output. Thus, the amp is like a gate in that it can either pass a signal when the "gate" is open, or prevent the signal from passing when the "gate" is closed.

The second circuit block is a level- sensitive trigger that tells the gate when to open and when to close. If the signal appearing at the input of this trigger circuit exceeds a certain user -selectable reference voltage (or threshold), then the trigger tells the gate to open. Should the signal drop below this threshold, then the gate closes. In practice, the threshold is set just above the noise level (see Figure 2). As

62

By Craig Anderton

a result, when the signal only consists of hiss, the gate is closed and the signal going through the amp is muted. As soon as you start playing and your instrument's signal exceeds this threshold, the gate turns on and lets the signal through.

This all sounds good in theory, but in practice, there are quite a few snags. These include:

Noise gates work best on signals that don't have too much noise to begin with. For example, if there's only a tiny bit of hiss on a signal, no problem -just set the threshold, and when the gate cuts off, the instrument signal will be at such a low volume that this gating action won't affect the sound of the instrument much. But consider what happens when the hiss is prominent; if you set the threshold high enough to eliminate the hiss, you're also eliminating a large portion of the sound as well. Consider a decaying guitar string, as shown in Figure 3. With lots of hiss, you're losing much of the string's decay when the gate closes.

Chattering. This occurs because not all signals decay in a nice, uniform way. Por example, the amplitude of a guitar string changes radically towards the end of its decay, which means that it may cross over the threshold more than once before it fades out (see Figure 4). This rapid opening and closing of the gate causes "chattering" problems. Some gates minimize chattering by adding a bit of decay time, so that the gate doesn't close instantly but instead closes over a period of several hundred milliseconds. This reduces, but does not eliminate, the problem.

The noise is not removed, just masked. In other words, if you've got a noisy signal, the noise gate will not make it




any quieter -it will merely remove the noise when you're not playing. While this is an improvement, the results are not as dramatic as you, would obtain with a double -ended type of noise reduction system (dbx or Dolby).

The important thing to remember about all noise gates is that they are not miracle workers; they are tools. A noise gate can turn a slightly hissy signal into a well- behaved, quiet sounding signal, or remove the noise floor from a tape channel with relative ease. But, feed it a really noisy signal, and it will have a hard time deciding which part of the signal is noise and which part isn't.

So much for noise gates -now for a look at the Noise Fader.

WHAT is IT? The Carrotron Noise Fader is an extremely compact (4.25 x 2.25 x 1.25 inch) box that includes one control (for setting the threshold), one footswitch (for cutting the unit in and out of the signal path), and two jacks (not surprisingly, one input and one output). Power is provided by a single 9 Volt battery, which should last for quite a while since the current consumption is approximately 2 mA.

Mechanically speaking, the enclosure is your typical cast aluminum box, and is definitely sturdy enough to provide excellent protection for the innards. The knob isn't reces- sed, but then again, you can't have everything.

Unscrewing four Phillips head screws from the bottom plate exposes the electronics, which are held in place by a wide and thick rubber band that slips underneath the pot and over the circuit board. My first reaction was that this was a pretty flaky way to do things, but first impressions can be deceiving, after checking into the subject a little further, I was satisfied that the circuit board wasn't going to go anywhere, and that there was no way an accidental short or other problem could occur. Besides, this type of mounting helps keep the costs down.

The circuit board itself is pretty packed- there's one op amp, eight transistors, several tantalum capacitors, and mostly metal film (as opposed to carbon comp) resistors. The jacks are of the enclosed type, the footswitch is heavy - duty, and the pot is adequate for the task at hand. My only complaint was that the footswitch was not securely fasten- ed in the unit sent for evaluation; a little pliers action fixed that up. Considering that most products these days seem to

audio m amp

trigger

audio out

Figure 1

MAY 1981

audio signal

threshold

noise

Before going through noise gate

most of audio signal remains

noise drops out

After going through noise gate

Figure 2

need some kind of tweaking before they perform up to spec, I didn't consider this much of a problem.

HOW the NOISE FADER WORKS. The difference between a traditional noise gate and the noise fader is as follows. Below the threshold,. instead of shutting off like a normal noise gate, the Noise Fader tracks the input signal and accelerates the rate at which the signal decays (see Figure 5). This is sometimes called "downward expansion," and the result is that the audio signal is never cut off abruptly -it always fades out in a smooth and controlled manner. In addition to giving a more natural sound, this fade out action also eliminates the possibility of noise gate "chatter."

I measured the rate of downward expansion with the threshold control up halfway. The Fader would put out about as much signal as you put into it for most signal levels; however, at low levels, this response changes rapidly to give the fading effect (see chart below).

Input signal 100 mV 50 mV 20 mV 10 mV 6 mV

Output signal 80 mV 35 mV 9 mV 2 mV

too small for accurate measurement

EVALUATING the NOISE FADER. I tried the noise fader under a variety of circumstances, and also compared it with a more standard type of noise gate for reference. Since I don't have any commercial noise gates for comparison, I used the one presented in the upcoming revised edition of my book Electronic Projects for Musicians. This is an opto- isolator based design that has a slight decay time, thereby overcoming some of the problems associated with "text- book" noise gates.

The first thing I found out when operating the Noise Fader is that the threshold setting is crucial, and setting its proper position is nowhere near as obvious as setting the

63



threshold with a conventional noise gate. There is a "sweet spot" on the threshold control that's different for different applications, and this spot must be found by experimentation. There are many ways to set the threshold that initially sound right (i.e., they get rid of the noise), but to find the exact right setting -one that follows the instrument dynamics faithfully as well as eliminates noise -takes a little more work.

For example, let's suppose you have a hissy guitar signal- perhaps from running the guitar through a corn - pressor or flanger. With the threshold all the way count- erclockwise, there is no noise reduction action. Slowly turning the threshold clockwise starts making the noise disappear, until at some point the noise is gone completely. However, this is not necessarily the optimum setting. Strik- ing a chord and rapidly muting the strings produces a kind of "noise hangover" where you hear the hiss gently decaying in the absence of any guitar signal. Turning the control a little further clockwise minimizes this hangover, but...if you turn the control too far clockwise, there will be a noticeable attack time if you suddenly hit a sharp chord. So, somewhere in between where the noise appears to go away and where the attack time starts to suffer is the optimum setting. This setting will vary depending on your application as well as the type of signal that you're putting through the noise fader.

APPLYING the NOISE FADER: Keeping the above caveats in mind, I tried a number of different tests with the Noise Fader to see what it could, and could not, do. Here are the results:

Test with compressors, fuzzes, and other hissy effects: The Noise Fader does very well under these conditions, and can easily tame hissy effects. Compressors shut up, fuzzes sound quieter without losing too much sustain, and phasers/ flangers become much more well- behaved. Also, compared to a noise gate, there was no chatter problem as a note hit the end of its decay. This is usually a significant problem when

threshold

noise

With a little noise, the noise gate only cuts off a small portion of the audio signal.

threshold

With lots of noise, cutting off the noise cuts off lots

of the signal as well.

noise

Figure 3

64

gate turns on and oft several times as signal crosses the threshold.

Figure 4

trying to quiet down effects with a standard noise gate. Test during mixdown of tapes in a +4 dBm studio: Forget it.

The Noise Fader can handle a maximum peak signal of about 6 V p -p, not enough headroom for high level studios. This device is clearly designed more for onstage musical purposes.

Test with string synthesizer: This particular string synthesizer uses multiple analog delays to achieve chorusing effects, which not only produces some very rich sounds but also produces those clock glitches and other pieces of gar- bage we've come to expect from multi -chip analog delay systems. Adding the Noise Fader at the instrument's output helped greatly, especially when turning the threshold just a little bit clockwise past the "sweet spot." This made the decay of the Fader track the decay of the instrument just about perfectly, although there was a just noticeable bit of attack lag.

Test with extremely noisy signals: I knew that like most noise gates, the Noise Fader would fail this test; but I was curious as to exactly how it would fail. As it turned out, either the threshold couldn't be turned clockwise enough to get rid of the interfering signal, or if it could get rid of the signal, the attack time was too long.

Test with tape echo unit: Some of the older tape echo units can double as white noise generators; and the Noise Fader really helped clean things up. I've usually found noise gates to not work satisfactorily with echo units, since the abrupt cutoff as the echo signal passes below threshold detracts from the echo effect. However, the Fader's tracking action solved this problem and really made a sub- stantial improvement in the overall sound. Of course, the

signal cuts off below threshold

threshold

Noise gate

signal fades out below threshold

threshold

Noise fader

Figure 5




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till there whenever you were playing; but when en't, the hiss was gone. If you're a disgruntled tape

unit owner, this might just be the device you're look - g for (try adding some pre- emphasis /de- emphasis as well

and your echo will sing).

OVERALL EVALUATION. One of the big questions, of course, is how the Fader compares to a noise gate. I compared the Noise Fader extensively with my noise gate, and because of the inherent decay time of the opto- isolator used in my design, the noise gate and noise fader gave almost equivalent performance in many, but certainly not all, applications. I would think that any noise gate with an adjustable decay time would also stand its own against the noise fader -much of the time.

But, much of the time isn't all of the time. In several in- stances, the Noise Fader gave markedly better performance; in particular, for quieting guitar effects the Noise Fader gave more natural, and more predictable, decay characteristics. And while I could get my noise gate to chatter, I never heard any kind of chatter coming from the Noise Fader at any time.

It seems to me that musicians who have instruments with inherent noise problems (I don't want to mention any brand names, but there is a certain very popular guitar that is highly prone to picking up electrical interference, and a certain keyboard that really needs much better shielding) would find the Noise Fader most useful. Sure, a noise gate

also gets rid of noise; but to me, the sound of the Fader is more natural. And for taming effects, the Noise Fader does an excellent job.

Its drawbacks are those shared by any device that tries to remove noise after -the -fact. It won't eliminate noise, only help mask it; cutting in different effects along the signal path may force an alteration of the threshold control; extremely noisy signals won't be helped much at all; and so on. Also, sometimes it's hard to tell when the effect is in and when it is out (although that's preferable to having a current -hogging indicator LED...give me long battery life any day).

Overall, though, the Noise Fader is a useful addition to a musician's bag of tricks. It's not a glamorous effect -it won't make your guitar sound like it's from Mars or anything -but if you're tired of being hissed at by your equipment, this is one of the better solutions available to the performing musician. Carrotron C920B1 Noise Fader at a Glance: List price: $159.95 Input impedance: 3 megOhms Output impedance: 300 Ohms Equivalent input noise: -110 dBV THD: less than 0.1% @ 1 KHz (0 dBV in) Current consumption: 2 mA Frequency response: ± 1 dB, 20 Hz - 20 KHz Attack time: 1 ms max with threshold set for proper tracking Release time: Variable, depending on threshold setting Maximum attenuation: 24 dB Threshold range: - 20 to - 70 dBV


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BY LEN FELDMAN

Closing The Patent Office -Again? I believe it was back around 1840, or thereabouts,

that a group of congressmen in this country introduced a bill into the legislature that would have cut off funds allocated to the U.S. Patent Office. Why continue to support that office, reasoned the legislators, if there is nothing left to invent? After all, we have the steam en- gine, the telegraph machine and so forth, so why waste money on a bunch of people examining ideas for inven- tions that aren't likely to benefit anyone anyway?

To listen to some of my friends in the audio industry, you would think that nothing has been learned since the middle of the eighteenth century about technological progress and how it always manages to build upon what has come before. I've heard it said that amplifiers have reached such a state of perfection that there is no longer any reason to further improve amplifier circuitry. And now that digital recordings are just around the corner, we have reached the ultimate in music program sources and there is no reason to experiment any further. And as far as the imperfections of loudspeakers and other transducers are concerned, we can always compensate for those imperfections with a good equalizer if we have to (though whether that equalizer should be a parametric or a graphic type remains a matter of some debate).

What prompts me to bring up this rather ludicrous moment in our nation's history is a big, black box prototype of a device that I spotted at the recently held Winter Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The black box was billed as a "solid" recorder, by which the manufacturer, Onkyo, did not mean that it was a solid - state, or transistorized recorder (which, of course, it was), but rather that it was a recorder which uses no moving storage medium such as tape or disc. Yes, this Onkyo recorder contained who -knows- how -many mega- bytes of solid -state memory "chips" which can store an undisclosed number of millions of binary- encoded num-

bers which, in turn, correspond to analog waveforms of music!

For all of our advanced technological capability, in order to keep the price of this prototype down to reasonable levels, the enormous storage capacity of the "solid memory" within this recorder was only able to store ten seconds worth of actual music! As the sign accompanying the device explained, however, as technology advances, it may someday be possible to build a solid recorder, with no moving parts, that would be able to record and store more practical and useful amounts of music programming. Besides ob- literating the highly profitable magnetic tape industry, can you imagine all of the other industrial upheavals that such a revolution in sound recording would produce?

But you don't have to probe that far into the future to find products and technology that can change the way we pursue our careers and the way in which audio is stored and reproduced. Although the Winter CES was predominantly a video oriented event, there were enough items of interest to audio enthusiasts to fill several of these columns. There was, for example, an effective demonstration of the new Dolby C noise reduction which we discussed in this column a couple of months ago. Our first report concerning Dolby C was derived strictly from written material supplied by Dolby Labs. Now, we are in a position to tell you that Dolby C is an extremely effective noise reduction system which sounds perfectly compatible when played back using Dolby B decoding circuitry and even sounds accep- table when listened to on a playback deck having no noise reduction decoding circuitry at all. (Dolby does not claim that this procedure offers compatibility, and they are right.)

The WCES also afforded an opportunity to get a briefing on what has got to be the most sophisticated




(not to mention highest priced) cassette deck in the world. As you might have guessed, the deck is by Nakamichi, whose Model 1000 deck introduced in the early 1970s served as a reference cassette deck until the introduction of metal particle tape a couple of years ago. The new model, appropriately named the 1000ZXL, will probably serve as a new reference deck against which other decks will be compared during the decade of the eighties. Its many innovative features will be reported on in next month's "Lab Reports," so we won't dwell upon them here, except to say that if you want to see how a microcomputer can intelligently be mated to a piece of audio equipment, this is the deck to examine. As for my recommending it for purchase, that's not my purpose here. Far be it from me to tell you to spend $3800 (the suggested retail price) on a cassette deck!

I discussed a new equalizer /analyzer made by dbx, Inc. some months ago in this column. I've anxiously been waiting to get my hands on one of these remarkable units, and it looks as though I am about to have my wish fulfilled. You will recall that this is the equalizer /analyzer (model 20/20) that, with the aid of a supplied microphone, pink -noise generator and a microprocessor controlled program, actually analyzes the pink noise reaching the microphone (placed in the listener's favorite position) and electronically adjusts the 10 -band octave equalizer for "flat" system response. We'll have a lot more to say about this fusion of electronics and computer technology in our "Lab Report" dealing with this item, too. The important point here is that, after introducing the item a full seven months ago in Chicago, in June of 1980, the model 20/20 is finally ready for delivery to dbx dealers and, I suspect, to the many customers who have had it on back -order since it was originally shown to attendees of the Summer CES in mid 1980. Unfortunately, the ravages of inflation have caused dbx to raise the price of the model 20/20 to an even $1500 (suggested retail) from an earlier hoped - for price which was somewhat lower.

Cassette, Cassette, Deck, Deck How would you like to be able to dub the music from

one cassette onto another without having to own two decks or borrow a second deck from a friend? Well, now you can, with Optonica's new RT -6605 cassette deck, also seen for the first time at the Las Vegas CES last January. The new deck actually sports two cassette compartments; one for recording and the other for playback. The machine lends itself to tape duplication which is accomplished simply by popping a recorded cassette into the playback compartment of the deck and a blank tape into the second recording compartment. It is possible to edit as you re- record.

Optonica's main purpose in devising this instrument

was not, ostensibly, to encourage tape dubbing (though some software producers at the show weren't too hap- py about the fact that this configuration might encourage music pirating). Rather, the two- compartment machine offers a solution for the age old problem in cassette deck design relating to the differences between an "optimum" record head and an optimum playback head, and the difficulty of positioning separate record and playback heads along the confined openings of the standard "compact cassette" package which was really never intended to accommodate three - head configurations.

Audio Fledglings If you want to find future audio success stories, all

you have to do is visit the exhibitors who frequent the Jockey Club at the Las Vegas Winter CES or the Pick - Congress Hotel during Summer CES in Chicago. Of the more than 130 exhibitors who showed up at the Jockey Club for the 1981 winter event, some will make it big, some will disappear and some will struggle along without becoming significantly bigger or smaller. Here's my own personal abbreviated list of such exhibitors who, I think, are bound for bigger things in the future. In the field of audio electronics are Apt Corporation, Carver Corporation, Threshold Corp., Bedini Elec- tronics, Micro -Tech (MTI) Inc. and Zeff Advanced Pro- ducts Co. (Zapco). As usual, there were too many new and older speaker companies and an inadequate listening environment in which to judge and select the win- ning speakers of years to come. Certainly a winner in the company- naming sweepstakes had to be "The Last Factory" (in which LAST stands for Liquid Archival Sound Treatment, a record preservative which this company developed). As for companies whose fortunes have turned, we were quite surprised to find Marantz exhibiting at the Jockey Club (instead of in the main convention center where they had held forth in previous years) and even more surprised to find B.I.C. /Avnet Corporation ensconced in another small room at the same Jockey Club. Another company that surprised us by their presence in the lesser location was Empire, who formerly took space in the main center. It is, of course, possible that these and many other corn - panies who elected to exhibit on a smaller scale were simply responding to current economic conditions, but that didn't seem to prevent other companies from quickly stepping in and renting the more visible and prestigious exhibit spaces abandoned by those companies trying to economize.

As for my predictions of which companies are going to make it big in the years ahead, remember, these predictions were made in Las Vegas by an audio en- thusiast who should have left the blackjack tables and slot machines alone.

-17

MAY 1981 71



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RCCOO RDD IING InusIIC

NORMAN EISENBERG AND LEN FELDMAN

SAE P250

Power Amplifier

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General Description: The model P250 from SAE is a stereo power amplifier offered for professional use. Its power output per channel is rated, at less than 0.05 percent THD, at 250 watts into 8-ohm loads; 375 watts into 4-ohm loads; and 500 watts into 2-ohm loads. The amplifier has switchable high and low pass filtering, with the switches located inside the amplifier housing on one of the circuit boards. Also on this circuit board is provision for an electronic crossover with slopes of 6, 12, 18 or 24 dB per octave. To complete the crossover option, the user must add two ICs and capacitors which are not supplied but must be obtained from the factory or an SAE service center. This conversion, advises SAE, should be done at the factory or service center.

The front panel contains an elaborate power readout system consisting of 15 LEDs for each channel. Each LED is labeled for power in watts and in corresponding dB levels with reference to an 8-ohm load. Each channel also has its own level control -a stepped type with markings from zero dB to "infinity." Centered on the panel are two push- switches for power on and power off. The ends of the panel have the requisite holes for standard rack -mounting and two handles.

Input connectors at the rear include 1/4 -inch phone jacks for high- impedance, unbalanced inputs; and XLR connectors for low- impedance, balanced inputs. In addition to these inputs for left and right channels, a third set of inputs may be used for automatic mono bridging. In this mode, the rated output power becomes 500 watts

for an 8 -ohm load, 750 watts for a 4 -ohm load; 1000 watts for a 2-ohm load. Rated distortion in this application is 0.1 percent for the 8-ohm and 4-ohm loads; 0.2 percent for the 2 -ohm load. When the amplifier is used in the mono bridged mode, the control for channel A handles the signal levels.

Outputs are 5 -way binding posts, one red and black pair for each channel. For mono output, the two farthest - spaced posts (both red) are used. A 15 -amp fuse, and the AC power cord, fitted with a three -prong (grounding) plug, complete the rear picture. The P250 has no cooling fan, although the manufacturer advises that for 2-ohm operation, or where high ambient temperatures are encountered, the operator use SAE's model F105 forced air cooling system.

Among the internal features of the P250 are a low hum -field toroidal power supply, built -in speaker protection and true complementary symmetry circuitry from input to output.

Test Results: In our lab tests, the P250 easily met or exceeded its published specifications. At no time during the tests did we require special cooling for the amplifier. We did check the 2-ohm output rating to confirm that it was significantly higher than the claimed 500 watts per channel before reaching the 0.05 percent distortion level.

Of all the measurements made on the P250, perhaps the one that gives the closest correlation with perceived sound quality is the twin -tone IM measurement. For




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SAE P250: Rear panel layout.

this test we used a newly acquired BPI model 6000A IM Distortion Analyzer, which delivers pairs of tones in the high- frequency region spaced 1 kHz apart. The difference frequency between these tones, produced by the amplifier being tested, is measured by the instrument directly, and we report this as the so -called CCIF IM distortion in this case, it was an almost unmeasurable 0.0068 percent!). Other IM components generated within the audio band (at or below 20 kHz) are observed on a spectrum analyzer and then calculated as a net percentage.. The twin tones producing the "worst case" results are shown in the 'scope photo of Fig. 1, where only one minor blip may be seen slightly to the left of the two reference tones. This form of IM distortion measurement is known as the IHF IM method, and in this instance it worked out to a very, very low 0.0224 percent.

Note: The amplifier is shipped with its high and low pass filters in the circuit, thus providing an overall frequency response, within -3 dB, from 30 Hz to 20 kHz. The specifications state that with the filters out, response extends to 0.5 Hz at the low end, and to 170 kHz

Fig. 1: SAE P250: Spectrum analysis of twin -tone IM measurement.

MAY 1981

at the high end -but this particular item was not tested for this report because of difficulty of entry into the amplifier (see "Comments," below).

General Info: Dimensions are 19 inches wide; 7

inches high, 15 inches deep. Weight is 47 pounds. Price is $1,200.

Joint Comment by N.E. and L.F.: Once again, we both see eye to eye on a product. Since SAE is involved in both high- fidelity and pro -audio product manufacturing, we expected to find the best of each design philosophy in the P250 amplifier. We were not disappointed. Power output was consistently higher, and distortion always lower, than specified. Combined with this "brute force" power and ultra -low distortion levels are the virtues of ruggedness and reliability, not to mention a very nicely worked -out power -output metering system, and the neat trick of automatically converting to mono bridged operation merely by jacking a signal source into either the mono XLR socket or the '/a -inch mono phone jack.

The options for changing the filters, and for using the internal electronic crossover facility, also are nice to have -but this brings us to our one critical comment on the unit. Unfortunately, neither of our test samples was supplied with a regular owner's manual. (This has happened to us often enough to make us wonder if some manufacturers do not bother about owner's manuals until the day they are ready to ship first production units, at which time they mimeograph a couple of hastily written pages and call them a "temporary owner's manual.") Be that as it may, we suggest that SAE check the text of this "temporary manual" before committing the same words to the permanent manual. As now written, the instructions tell us that, in order to switch the built -in filters, it is only necessary to "first remove the top cover of amplifier." As far as we could tell, there is no simple "top cover" but rather a complex wrap which would have required the removal of countless screws to get inside. Much as we would have liked to see the response extend from 0.5 Hz to 170 kHz, we decided to leave well enough alone, and take SAE's word that the filters can be turned off once you can get into the amplifier. Surely, however, the design- ers could have worked out an easier entry to the amplifier- especially since access also is needed if the user wants to make use of the electronic crossover option (although the user is discouraged in the present in-

structions from making this conversion himself -another possible point of confusion in the manual ?).

Aside from these discrepancies between the printed



word and the physical reality of the amplifier, we did indeed like the P250. Even with the filters in, our listening tests confirmed that this is a fine -sounding amplifier, perfectly able to handle the demanding

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dynamics and sharp transients in the program material we fed into it. And it certainly has the "workhorse" type of construction you'd associate with a pro - grade amplifier.

SAE P250 POWER AMPLIFIER: Vital Statistics

PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTIC

Continuous power for rated THD, 1 kHz 8 ohms 4 ohms

THD at rated output, 1 kHz, 8 ohms 4 ohms

20 Hz, 8 ohms 20 kHz, 8 ohms

IM distortion, rated output, SMPTE CCIF IHF

Frequency response, 1 watt output" S/N ratio re: 1 watt, "A" wtd, IHF S/N ratio re: rated output, "A" wtd Dynamic headroom, IHF Damping factor at 50 Hz IHF input sensitivity Input sensitivity re: rated output Slew rate (volts /microsecond) Power consumption: idling; maximum

" Filters "in"

MANUFACTURER'S SPEC

250 watts 375 watts 0.05% 0.05% NA NA NA NA NA -3 dB, 35 Hz to 20 kHz NA 100 dB NA NA NA 2.24 V

20

NA; NA


LAB MEASUREMENT

263 watts 408 watts 0.035% 0.037% 0.15% 0.13% 0.08% 0.0068% 0.0224% -3 dB, 30 Hz to 20 kHz

93 dB 113 dB 1.5 dB 92 0.1 V

1.58 V

20 100; 1300 watts

Soundcraftsmen TG2245 Graphic Equalizer

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General Description: The Soundcraftsmen TG2245 is a dual -channel octave -band equalizer with separate and identical controls and switching facilities for each channel or section, so that either channel may be operated independently of the other. Each channel, or section, provides ten octaves of equalization handled by sliders with frequency centers of 30, 60, 120, 240, 480, 960, 1920, 3840, 7680 and 15,360 Hz. In addition to these sliders, each channel has a zero -gain adjust slider and its associated LED indicator.

Also on the front panel, for each channel or section, are six signal- processing and routing switches. There also are convenience -jacks for line -in and line -out signal patching. These are duplicates of the rear -panel jacks, more of which presently. Centered between the front - panel jacks is the device's AC power off /on switch.

74

The switches found here are labeled EQ defeat; Pre - EQ Loop; Loop /Monitor; Subsonic; Shelving Lo; Shelv- ing Hi. The EQ Defeat switch enables the incoming signal to bypass the equalizer. The Pre -EQ Loop switch and the Loop /Monitor switch -used in conjunction with rear -panel signal connectors -permit the use of an external processor or tape recorder between the TG2245's own line inputs and its equalizer section, and also enable equalization by the TG2245 to be applied ahead of (or following) a tape recorder or signal processor. The re- maining three switches operate their respective filters at a 12 dB -per- octave rate. The subsonic filter begins taking effect below 20 Hz (down 3 dB at 15 Hz). The low - shelving filter rolloff is down 3 dB at 100 Hz. The high - shelving rolloff is 3 dB down at 10 kHz. Again, as with the EQ sliders and the zero-gain adjustments, these




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Fig. 1: Soundcraftsmen TG2245: Multiple sweeps show control range for all ten octave controls.

switches and the circuitry they handle are completely in-

dependent for each channel or section of the TG2245. Zero gain is adjusted on the zero-gain slider when the

upper and lower LEDs glow with the same intensity with a signal applied to the equalizer. This technique permits adjusting for constant loudness levels, with or without EQ switched in, and facilitates equalizing across the audio band without changing the level of the signal being processed.

The rear of the TG2245 contains eight '/a -inch phone jacks consisting of line -in, line -out, loop /monitor -in and loop /monitor -out for each section of the equalizer. These jacks, as well as the extra line jacks on the front panel, may be used for balanced or unbalanced operation, depending on what kind of phone -plug is used and how it is wired. Instructions are spelled out in the owner's manual and a handy diagram is printed on the back panel for easy reference. So too is a block diagram showing signal paths between the jacks and the functional groups of one channel of the TG2245. Note that the rear and front panel line -out jacks are wired in parallel so that identical outputs are available from both at the same time. The rear and front line -in jacks, however, are wired so that either, but not both, may be used at a given time (inserting a plug into the front -panel line -in

jack will defeat the rear -panel line -in jack). As with other Soundcraftsmen equalizers, the

TG2245 is supplied with a frequency test record and several "Computone" charts for plotting EQ and switch settings. The device may be fitted into a standard 19 -inch rack, or placed on any convenient surface. Four plastic "feet" are supplied and optional walnut- veneer end panels are available. The unit's AC power cord is fitted with a three -prong (grounding) plug.

Test Results: Published specifications for the Sound - craftsmen TG2245 were confirmed or bettered in our lab

tests, and the device impressed us thoroughly as being accurate, reliable and convenient to use. Especially com- mendable is the zero-balance system, accurate to within its claimed tolerance of only 0.1 dB. Center frequencies for the ten equalizing filters also were highly accurate. These filters are synthesized, using "gyrator" circuits rather than actual inductors.

A multiple sweep from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, obtained with the aid of a spectrum analyzer and a storage 'scope, is shown in Figure 1. In Fig. 2 we present a "close -up" view of the boost and cut action of a single octave -band control. Among other things, these results confirm the avowed design effort behind this equalizer to maintain a

moderate Q in order to avoid the problems associated with the steeper slopes of higher -Q filters. With the TG2245, the filter bandwidth is fairly broad, with the -3 dB points being a full octave removed from the center frequency.

The action of the low and high shelving filters is

shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The upper trace in each case is

the response with the filters turned off (and all controls centered), while filter action is superimposed and depicted as the "R" trace for each figure. The slight shelving which appears to be present at the high end was caused by our instrumentation and not by the TG2245 under test. Frequency response, measured in-

dependently, was well within the ±0.5 dB tolerance from 20 Hz to 20 kHz as specified.

General Info: Dimensions are 19 inches wide; 31/2 in-

ches high; 17 inches deep. Weight is 18 pounds. Price is $399.

Joint Comment by L.F. and N.E.: We share the same favorable view of this product. Soundcraftsmen's products are no strangers to us; we have in the past re-

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quency control).

MAY 1981



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Fig. 3: Soundcraftsmen TG2245: Lo -shelf filter response (R curve) relative to flat response shows -3 dB point at 105 Hz.

viewed several of their units -here and elsewhere. Our high regard for this manufacturer's products remains unchanged after examining the TG2245. The manufacturer describes the unit as a pro model, and the "Pro" appellation is well -deserved. In addition to its low distortion and accurate response capabilities, the unit has several worthwhile features of genuine value to the user. One is the zero -gain control and its LED indicators, a setup that makes it easy to adjust for constant loudness levels with and without EQ switched in. Another is the inclusion of separate subsonic and shelving filters, which free the lowest and highest octave -band controls to do a job of true equalization instead of wasting them for filtering action. Yet another is the relatively broad bandwidth (moderate Q) of the individual octave -band

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Fig. 4: Soundcraftsmen TG2245: Hi -shelf filter response (R curve) relative to flat response shows -3 dB point (- 5 dB re: -2 dB at 10 kHz).

filters. Then there is the versatile jack arrangement - with the external in- and -out loop, and the pre- and post - EQ capability for that external loop -not to mention the convenient extra jacks on the front panel, plus the fact that inputs and outputs can be used as balanced or unbalanced. Finally, of course, is the fact that all equalizing, filtering, and switching are completely separate and independent between the unit's two channels. And all this comes at a modest price on today's market. All in all, the TG2245 provides the advantages of hi -fi specifications and the clean sound associated with them, together with the practical features needed in professional equalization applications. It should find favor with those involved in radio and TV production, sound - reinforcement and, of course, recording work.

SOUNDCRAFTSMEN TG2245 EQUALIZER: Vital Statistics

PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTIC

Input impedance Maximum input /output Signal -to -noise ratio Gain control range Frequency response Output impedance Distortion

Filter bandwidth Center frequencies (Hz)

Octave control range

Gain /Cut capability Sub -sonic filter Lo -shelf filter Hi -shelf filter Channel separation: Power consumption

MANUFACTURER'S SPEC LAB MEASUREMENT

47 K ohms +22 dBm /10 V

- 92 dBm - 12 to +6 dB

20 Hz to 20 kHz, ±0.5 dB 600 ohm /bal; 300 ohm unbal. Less than 0.01 %, 20 Hz -20 kHz

1- octave @ -3 dB, 8 dB boost /cut 30, 60, 120, 240, 480, 960 1.92 K, 3.84 K, 7.68 K, 15.36 K ±12 dB (others set to flat)

16 dB (others set to max.) +22 dB/ -28 dB -3 dB @ 15 Hz, 12 dB /oct. -3 dB @, 100 Hz, 12 dB /oct. -3 dB @ 10 kHz, 12 dB /oct. Greater than 80 dB Less than 15 W


Confirmed Confirmed - 95 dBm ( "A" wt'd) Confirmed See Figs. 3 & 4

Confirmed 0.0057 @ 1 kHz 0.01 @ 20 Hz & 20 kHz Confirmed Confirmed

Confirmed

Confirmed Confirmed See Fig. 3

See Fig. 4

Confirmed 9 Watts




Bang & Olufsen "Beocord" 8000 Cassette Recorder

General Description: The Beocord 8000 is a cassette tape deck whose built -in microprocessor and electronic clock -timer system make it possible to pre- program the machine for automatic start and stop, in either record or play modes, within any 24 -hour period. The system also functions to provide random access to different recorded sections of a tape. Tape indexing is done in real time, and the actual time of day is always available (assuming it was punched in correctly when setting up the deck). The system also enables the recordist to have a tape return automatically to the beginning of the last recorded segment of a tape.

Calibration of a cassette is also handled by the microcomputer system. One button is used for metal - particle tape; another button for the oxide formula- tions. In addition to this option it also is possible to adjust for optimum input recording levels for oxide and metal tapes by observing the peak signal indications on the deck's meter, prior to running the tape.

The Beocord 8000 is a two -head cassette machine. The cassette compartment, together with various controls, is found under a large swing -up cover on the left upper portion of the sloping top panel. This area is designated by B &O as the "Programming Section." The cover is raised by pressing either end of a long bar just below it. One end of this bar is labeled "Programming" and the other end -labeled "Eject" -will raise the lid and the cassette platform too. To the left of the cassette area is a slider for headphone output level adjustment (independent of line -level output). To the right are pushbuttons for timer start, timer stop, "rec open" and time -set. The record -open switch must be pressed as the first step in recording. The time -set button is used to set the built -in clock, and -once time has been entered -to

recall the time. Also in this section are the controls for Dolby NR and the two -position tape -selector. At the right are two additional slider controls for adjusting recording level separately on each channel.

To the right of the programming section, and sharing space with it on the upper slope of the deck's top panel, is the display section. Basically, this consists of the twin segmented bar -graph signal meters and the digital readout of the electronic clock- timer. Signal levels are shown as peak values in real -time. Each channel uses eight LEDs which operate in record and in playback modes. The scale runs from -20 to +6.

The digital readout provides, in addition to the correct time, tape location in minutes and seconds and the actual elapsed time for every operating mode. Calibra- tion and mode data also are shown by means of various combinations of dots and line -symbols, including one symbol for an incorrect entry into the computer. There are eleven such "codes" which are illustrated and explained in the owner's manual.

Below the display section is the control section. This area contains nine large, and twelve smaller, keys. The former group is used to initiate various commands; the buttons in the latter group provide numbered instructions for timing. Thus, the large keys govern the functions of: standby; record; memory on; memory off; stop; return; normal forward; fast -forward; rewind. The smaller keys are numbered from 0 through 9, with two added keys for "go" and for "CE" (clear entry).

Line -level signals are fed to and taken from the Beo- cord 8000 by means of the European -DIN socket located at the deck's rear. However, B & O supplies the requisite cable adapator pre -soldered to a generous length of standard signal cable whose other four ends

MAY 1981 77



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10dB/D LNO DATA R-04.3dB 16.5kHz

Fig. la: Beocord 8000: Frequency response at 0 dB and - 20 dB record level (using Maxell UD -XL -IS tape).

are fitted with color -coded plugs for insertion into standard U.S. phono jacks for tape feed (record) and tape playback. Associated with the DIN socket is a toggle switch with DIN and LINE positions.

An additional DIN socket on the lower front apron of the deck accepts microphone inputs. This connection must be made using a suitable 5 -pin DIN plug wired as per instructions. This same socket also may be used for feeding an auxiliary (approximately line -level) signal into the model 8000, as, for instance, in copying a tape directly from another deck. For this purpose, there is a small switch next to this input. Also near this input is the stereo headphone output, a standard ' 4 -inch jack.

While the headphone output level is adjustable via the slider on the top panel, the DIN /line output levels, one for each channel, are screwdriver adjustments found on the underside of the unit.

The Beocord 8000 has no separate power on /off switch. Operating voltage is applied when the line -cord at the rear is plugged into an AC outlet. However, all this does is activate the clock until the operator actually initiates some tape -deck function.

The Beocord 8000 is styled in what might be called "Danish Modern." The top panel slopes toward the user in two angular attitudes, presenting a look of brushed white chrome and black matte. During use the readout section is illuminated in red and green. The front and sides are trimmed with rosewood strips. The deck is designed for installation on a flat horizon- tal surface.

Test Results: The Beocord 8000 clearly made its best peformance showing when used with metal tape, especially in terms of high -end response and in signal - to- noise. Distortion was almost the same with metal as with normal -bias tape. The same could be said for headroom, although the normal -bias tape actually yielded one dB higher headroom. Our lab measurements pretty much confirmed published specs for the

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Fig. lc: Beocord 8000: Frequency response at 0 dB and - 20 dB record level (using Fuji metal tape).

unit, although it might be mentioned that the specs seemed relatively "conservative" for a deck priced as high as this one.

In Fig. 1 (A, B and C), we show the response at 0 dB and at -20 dB record levels for each of the three types of recording tape used in our tests (Maxell UD -XL -IS for normal bias ferric -oxide; Maxell UD -XL -IIS for high -bias, cobalt- ferric; and Fuji Metal for metal- bias). While response with the metal tape was best, it exceeded that of the high -bias tape by only 0.5 kHz at the high end.

Wow- and -flutter results were much better than claimed by B & O, measuring only 0.034% WRMS. Speed accuracy also was excellent, with average readings over the first two minutes of tape motion of only -0.149 percent (see Figs. 4 and 6).

Third -order harmonic distortion readings are shown in Fig. 2 (A, B and C). The results show HD at various




r(... ecording levels up to about +10 dB, relative to the 0 -dB reference level which, on this machine, cor- responds to 200 nWb /m. Surprisingly, the self - calibration of the deck was such that we ended up with a bit more headroom with the ferric -oxide than with the metal tape sample. Despite this, however, best S/N was obtained with metal tape, as may be seen in Fig. 3 (A, B and C). In these displays, the "L" figure (and the left "noise bar ") show results without Dolby noise - reduction, while the "R" figure and the right -most noise bar in the graph show results with Dolby switched on. All readings are weighted, using the CCIR /ARM method.

Playback -only response, shown in Fig. 5, was measured with a special wide -band frequency response test cassette produced by Standard Tape Laboratory, Inc. for use with our Sound Technology model 1500A Tape Recorder Test System.

General Info: Dimensions are 20/ inches wide; 5'/8

inches high; 11' /e inches deep. Weight is 16.5 pounds. Price is $995.

Individual Comment by L.F.: There are those of us who prefer oil pressure gauges, battery charge indicating meters, tachometers and coolant ther- mometers in our cars. Others of us are content to simply step on the gas pedal and the brake, and have only some indicator lights come on when something goes wrong under the hood. If you belong in the latter category, you probably will love the Beocord 8000. It follows B & O's tradition of elegant and uncluttered external design. It also is as totally automated a cassette deck as I have ever encountered.

As explained, most operating modes of the deck can be initiated at the touch of a button (or two). Tapes can be individually calibrated -in terms of operating parameters such as bias, equalization and sensitivity, and also in terms of program timing. The deck has

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Fig. 2a: Beocord 8000: Third -order distortion versus record level (Maxell UD -XL -IS tape).

Iftail music -locating options, and a real -time clock with relative timing indications, all digitally displayed. There also is a series of symbols (such as "Cs" facing backwards, forwards, upwards or downwards) all of them designed to "communicate" with the user. I would imagine that, after a couple of days, the user would become familiar with the symbols. If one follows the owner's manual, however, operation of the machine is not all that complicated. Just do things "by the book" and do not try to outguess B & O regarding the uses of the numerous touch -buttons on the deck's front panel.

I cannot express quite as much enthusiasm for the deck's lab measurements as I can for its industrial design. To be sure, the tapes we used did give results that were consistent with claims made by B & O, but those claims seem extremely conservative for a cassette deck costing nearly $1000.

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Fig. 2c: Beocord 8000: Third -order distortion versus record level (Fuji metal tape).

MAY 1981 79



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Fig. 4: Beocord 8000: Read -out of flutter on unit. Figure displayed is WRMS.

A professional recordist probably will not find this unit too appealing. On the other hand, the music lover who doesn't want to be bothered with technical details, and who just wants to record music easily and with a fair amount of automation, likely will fall in love with the Beocord 8000. The measured performance of the unit does indicate its ability to provide recordings that will satisfy the serious music lover, if not the fussy technological audio purist who is as much concerned with the numbers as with the sound.

Individual Comment by N.E.: In terms of "specs as such," the Beocord 8000 falls a bit short of the extreme high -end Hz -marks made by some of its similarly priced contemporaries. Knowing this company, I am fairly certain this is a deliberate design deci- sion made in the interest of achieving that precarious balance of performance characteristics involving distortion, bias and signal -to- noise. What is optimal for one design approach is not always deemed best by another group, and apparently the parameters involved have been carefully adjusted to achieve what B & O feels is best suited for this deck. Also related to tape sound is tape motion which, in this deck, is very steady and accurate. Especially noteworthy is that firm low - end portion of the playback response which does indicate excellent tape -to -head contact and a minimizing of another potential area of "bump distortion."

Numbers notwithstanding, the Beocord 8000 is a very good- sounding tape machine, both with commercially recorded tapes, and when playing back tapes recorded on it from other sources. I was not aware of any lack in the highs. I found the Dolby NR, albeit simplified here, suitably effective. I also liked the separate headphone output, with its ample signal level under the control of its own adjustment.

The real -time tape counter and the associated options for presetting start and stop times could prove of value in many recording or playback applications. There is something nice about being able to see actual

( NS WHTD L -51. 7dB R -61.2dB 10dB/D

Fig. 3a: Signal -to -noise ratio with (R) and without (L) Dolby, referred to 3% distortion (max) recording level (Maxell UD -XL -IS tape).

NS WHTD L -55.6dB R -64. 4dB 10dB/D

Fig. 3b: Beocord 8000: Signal -to -noise ratio with (R) and without (L) Dolby, referred to 3% distortion (max) recording level (Maxell UD- XL -IIS tape).

NS WHTD L -59.9dB R -69.5dB 10dB/D

Fig. 3c: Beocord 8000: Same as figures 3a and 3b, but using Fuji metal tape.




FR

MI Ell II II MI IN MIMEO III III III IN

10dB/D R+00.0dB 1.00kHz

Fig. 5: Beocord 8000: Frequency response, playback only.

elapsed time of a cassette in motion and then, at the touch of a button, also get the time of day. Apropos of this feature, by the way, there is an error in the owner's manual -on page 12 the word "not" was obviously omitted in the sentence: If your Beocord accidently (sic) becomes disconnected from your line voltage, the recorder will show the time display when reconnected." It will not show the time of day unless you reset the clock.

Whether or not the Beocord 8000 is a "pro" class machine depends on your definition of "pro." To me, the major single drawback in this regard is its two - head configuration which, of course, means you cannot monitor off the tape while recording. You cannot, for

MAY 1981

SP

>r ,

.

.

,

r

,

.

.

r

.

.

.

.

.

.

0.2%/D L-0.145% 110 SEC

Fig. 6: Beocord 8000: Tape speed accuracy.

that matter, deliberately fool around with bias and EQ variations since these parameters are determined for you by the built -in computer. There are some who would say that the computer will make for more professional -sounding tapes than you can, but ad- mittedly it's a matter of viewpoint.

The deck has a limited fast -button facility between normal play and the fast -wind modes, but flying -start recording or overdubbing is not possible. In fact, if you try it, the display will flash an incorrect -entry signal.

Summing up, the Beocord seems like less of an audio -man's "recording tool" and more of a deluxe "sound- and -music machine" for the well -heeled buyer who doesn't mind exposing himself to some rudimen- tary computerese.

B & O 8000 CASSETTE RECORDER: Vital Statistics

PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTIC MANUFACTURER'S SPEC

Frequency response, normal tape high -bias tape metal tape

3rd -order HD at 0 dB record level normal; high -bias; metal tape

Record level for 3% THD (0 dB =

200 nWb /m) normal; high -bias; metal tape

S/N ratio, Dolby off normal; high -bias; metal tape

S/N ratio, Dolby on normal; high -bias; metal tape

Wow -and -flutter (WRMS) Speed accuracy Mic input sensitivity Line input sensitivity Line output level Headphone output level Fast -wind time, C -60

Bias frequency Power consumption

NA 2.5 dB, 30 Hz - 16 kHz

±2.5 dB, 30Hzto16kHz

NA; NA; NA

NA; NA; NA

56; 58; 61 dB

63; 65; 68 dB <0.1% < ±1% 0.1 mV 120 mV 800 mV 9 V, 56 ohms 70 seconds 96 kHz 45 watts


LAB MEASUREMENT

3 dB, 20 Hz -16 kHz 3 dB, 20 Hz -16.5 kHz

±3 dB, 20 Hz -17 kHz

0.3 %; 0.75 %; 0.34%

+8; +3; +7 dB

51.7; 55.6; 59.9 dB

61.2; 64.4; 69.5 dB 0.034% - 0.149% 0.1 mV 15/278 mV 774 mV 9 V, 56 ohms 66 seconds confirmed confirmed

81



DMI /Kelsey Pro -4/3 Series Mixer

By John Murphy and Jim Ford

One of the latest additions to the Kelsey line of mixers from Dallas Music Industries, Inc. is the Pro -4/3 Series. Although we are reviewing the twelve -channel version of this mixer, we expect that our comments will be ap- plicable to the sixteen- and twenty -four channel models as well.

The Pro-4 /3 is organized in a conventional manner with all the controls for each input channel arranged in-

line above the channel fader. Some of the mixer's features include: input channel muting; soloing and patching facilities; four -band fixed frequency channel EQ; two pre -fader sends; and two post -fader sends. The output section can be switched between two modes of operation. In the "Sub" mode the mixer functions as a stereo output unit with two stereo sub -groups available. Switching to the "Four- track" output mode converts the board to mono operation and makes four sub -groups available to the operator.

As with all the Kelsey mixers, the Pro-4 /3 is supplied with a rugged fiberglass roadcase. The twelve -channel version is priced at $2,800 while the sixteen- and twenty - four channel versions are priced at $3,400 and $4,600 respectively.

General Description: The Pro -4/3 Series mixers are intended to be used as sound reinforcement mixers in either stereo or mono sound systems. However, the unit has sufficient outputs available for mono, two-track or four -track recording of a "live" performance. There is enough control over both input and output signal levels to allow interfacing with practically any of the usual outboard components.

The mixer's chassis is wedge shaped with a sloping face which provides good access to all controls. In most applications, the mixer can remain seated in the bottom portion of the roadcase while in use as the case doesn't obstruct access to any controls or connections. The unit's power supply is housed in a separate small enclosure which fits beside the mixer in the roadcase. Now let's go over the input channel controls and connections.

All of the channel signal connections are made on the rear panel directly behind the channel control strip. The transformer balanced microphone inputs are by way of 3 -pin XLR -type connectors. The line input and channel

line output ( "direct" output) employ 1/4 -inch phone jacks as do the "send" and "return" for the channel patch point.

At the top of each input channel strip, there is an input gain control with a pair of LEDs which indicate signal level status. The gain control affects both the microphone and line input signals. The LEDs are labeled "OK" and "Hi" and are colored yellow and red respectively. There are three indicator states: both off, "OK" illuminated, and "Hi" illuminated. When setting the channel gain control, the objective is to illuminate the "OK" LED but not the "Hi" LED. This will insure that the signal level is in the range for the best signal -to-noise ratio. Monitoring the signal level at three points in the signal chain insures that any channel overload condition will be indicated.

Below the gain control is a group of three pushbuttons. The first is labeled "Mute" and when depressed silently removes the channel signal from the output mix. The muted signal remains available for soloing and patching. The other two pushbuttons are for assigning the channel's signal to the output mix. Next in line is the channel pan pot used either for panning across the stereo output (when in the "Sub" mode) or for assigning the signal between sub -groups three and four (when in the "4 track" mode).

The EQ section is next in line and consists of four rotary controls. The high- and low- frequency bands (7 kHz and 60 Hz) provide a shelving type response curve, whereas the two middle bands (250 Hz and 1.5

kHz) have a broad peak /dip characteristic. It is worth noting that the 7 kHz EQ affects frequencies down to 100 Hz and below.

The Pro-4 /3 has four auxiliary sends with two of these taken pre fader and EQ, and two post fader and EQ. The send levels are controlled by four rotary controls located




above the channel fader. These aux sends would normally be used for reverb /effects sends, monitor mixes, etc. The channel's signal can be soloed into the board's headphone monitoring system by depressing the solo button (locking type) located above the channel's linear fader.

The rightmost quarter of the mixer's face makes up the master control section. Located at the uppermost portion are four line arrays of LEDs which serve as master level indicators. These meters can be switched to indicate levels for three different groups of signals including all four aux sends, the solo signal, the main output signals and the two "return" signals. Each meter consists of ten LEDs calibrated from -24 dBV to +12 dBV. The meters are peak reading with a very fast rise time and a slow release to aid visual comprehension.

Located below the meter arrays are level and pan controls for each of two return signals. The returns are usually used in conjunction with the sends to add reverb or effects into the output mix. However, the returns could also be used to add a tape playback into the mix. When the return solo is engaged, returns one and two are placed in the left and right earphones respectively.

The headphone monitoring system is designed to drive headphones of 600 ohm or higher impedance. A stereo 1/4 -inch phone jack is provided on the top panel along with a headphone level control. Since only soloed signals are heard through the headphone monitor, the board is equipped with a group of three "master solo" switches. These allow the operator to audition signals at the stereo submasters, the main left and right outputs, or the main mono output.

The master level controls for the four aux sends are located above the main output faders along with two solo switches which allow the sends to be auditioned in pairs.

There are five main output signals from the mixer: stereo sub -group one; stereo sub -group two; left main;

right main; and mono main. Depressing the board's output mode switch converts the board to mono operation with four mono sub -groups. The main output signals then become sub -groups one through four and mono main. Channel assignment to the four sub -groups is via the channel's two assign pushbuttons for groups one and two and the pan pot for groups three and four.

All of the master input /output signal connections are made at the rear of the master control section. Five of the output signals are provided on both 3 -pin XLR connectors (balanced) and 1/4 -inch phone jacks (unbalanced). These are: mono main; left main; right main; pre one; and pre two. All other connections are on 1/4-inch phone jacks. The mono, left and right main outputs also have duplicate 600 ohm outputs as well as stacking inputs.

Listening /Handling Test: In order to get a feel for the operation of the mixer we interfaced it with an eight - channel multi -track recorder and played one of our multitrack master tapes back through it. In the "Sub" (stereo) mode, operation of the assign pushbuttons is straightfor- ward. Depressing either "assign 1" or "assign 2" directs the signal to the corresponding stereo submaster in the master control section. If neither channel assign button is depressed, then the channel signal goes directly to the main stereo faders bypassing the two stereo sub -groups. In either case, the stereo balance selected at the channel pan -pot is maintained. This true stereo sub -grouping is quite a nice feature.

As an example of how the stereo sub -groups might be used, consider the case where a group uses multiple microphones on the drum set, has multiple vocal microphones and has several other instrument inputs as well. Here it might be convenient to assign all of the drum mics to sub -group one and all of the vocal mics to sub -group two. The individual drum and vocal mics could be panned as desired and mixed as groups using the individual channel faders. The sub -group faders would then provide level control for the complete drum group and the vocal group. The other instruments would not be assigned to either sub -group and would go directly from the channel fader to the main left and right faders.

With the Pro-4 /3 in the "four track" (mono) mode, the operation of the assign controls is changed so that the pan -pot is used in assigning to groups three and four. If

MAY 1981 85



either of the assign buttons is depressed, then assignment can only be made to either or both groups one and two. Assignment to groups three and four can only be made when neither assign button is depressed. Panning left assigns the channel signal to group three; panning right assigns the signal to group four. We found this capability of the mixer to operate in either a stereo or mono output mode to be a very attractive feature.

Before we finish discussing the operational aspects of the mixer, we'd like to make a comment about the signal level indicators. The two -LED channel signal level indicators were found to be a very nice improvement over the usual "peak" indicators which indicate only an overload or near overload condition. The additional "OK" indicator makes it much easier to properly set the channel input gain control and monitor channel signal levels. As for the four LED array output level indicators, they were found to provide a very useful indication of signal peak levels. We especially liked the fact that they were calibrated with a "dBV" scale.

We performed our usual listening test on the unit by interfacing it with our reference listening system and listening through it. In a brief A/B test where we could alternately listen through the mixer and then bypass it, we heard no significant degradation of audio quality when listening through the unit.

Lab Test: With the Kelsey board on the test bench, we performed our standard series of lab tests; the detailed results are provided in the "Lab Test Summary" below. Both the mic and line input sensitivities were found to be more than adequate for the intended applications. Overload thresholds for both inputs were quite high. Output signal levels were as indicated on the LED arrays with the maximum output level before clipping at +21 dBV. Although the mixer's noise levels are not as low as most of the other mixers we've tested, the noise will probably not be bothersome in most applications. The unit's total harmonic distortion (THD) was low across the entire audio spectrum and never exceeded .03 %. At 3 volts per microsecond, the unit was not "fast" enough to meet the Jung criteria for freedom from slewing induced distortion (normalized slew rate limit of at least 0.5 volts per microsecond per volt).'

The owner's manual supplied with the mixer did a good job of describing the unit's controls and contained a very good applications section. The manual also included a good amount of service information (including schematic and parts placement diagrams).

Conclusion: The Kelsey Pro -4/3 Series mixer from Dallas Music Industries, Inc. was found to be a good sound reinforcement mixer. The only significant drawback we found was its somewhat higher than average output noise levels. However, we were especially pleased with signal level indicators.

References ' W.G. Jung, M.L. Stephens, C.C. Todd, "An Overview of SID and TIM, Part II," Audio, LXIII (July 1979), 38 -47.

LAB TEST SUMMARY (Note: 0 dBV = .775 Vrms)

Input Levels Mic Input: Minimum input level for "0 dBV" level indication

with input channel trim and fader at maximum (submaster and stereo masters at nominal settings): - 80 dBV

Maximum mic input level before clipping: +7.5 dBV

Line Input: Minimum input level for "0 dBV" level indication

with input channel trim and fader at maximum: - 46.2 dBV

Maximum line input level before clipping: greater than +34 dBV

Output Levels (at main stereo output)

For "0 dBV" level indication: 0 dBV Maximum output level before clipping: +21.2 dBV

Noise Performance (Note: 20 kHz Bandwidth, unweighted, 150 ohm

source impedance) Equivalent Input Noise: - 109.1 dBV With all faders at minimum settings noise at the

output is: - 82.6 dBV Raising the main faders to a nominal setting,

output noise is: - 70.0 dBV As above, but raising the submaster faders to a

nominal setting, output noise is: -67.6 dBV As above, but setting one input channel for a -40

mic input with the channel fader at nominal, output noise is: -61.5 dBV

With four channels set as above, output noise is: - 53.4 dBV

With twelve channels set as above, output noise Is: - 50.5 dBV

Distortion Performance (THD plus noise at + 10 dBV output level)

Frequency

100 Hz .028% 500 Hz .028% 2 kHz .014% 10 kHz .018% 20 kHz .018%

Frequency Rseponse: ± 1 dB 20 -20 kHz Bandwidth ( -3 dB points): 6 Hz to 33.0 kHz Slew Rate Limit: 3.0 volts per microsecond Normalized Slew Rate Limit: 0.24 volts per micro-

second per volt.





"Last summer my band, Gathering Forces, performed at the Summerpier Festival in

New York City To my initial despair, the sound system they supplied looked like four eccentrically designed hi -fi speakers on poles. This was supposed to handle a highly electrified fusion band with horns and vocals for an outdoor crowd of 2,500!

"To my astonishment, it worked. I decided to try those funny little speakers in my keyboard setup. And I've been using them ever since.

"What the Bose 802s do for keyboards is,

basically, to reproduce the full range accurately The tone characteristics are very transparent, free of the typical boxy colora- tions. I don't have to stay away from certain octaves or filter settings any more. And feedback doesn't seem to be a problem.

"What's more, I can hear the 802s without blowing my head off. They sound exactly the same at every volume level, something that is definitely unique tgthese speakers. Plus they're really compact and easy to move around. I can just load them into my VW bus along with my four keyboards and everything else.

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used to take a whole truckload of cabinets, amplifiers and crossovers to get the same coverage. And the sound wasn't nearly as

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GROOVE f VIEWS nn

Reviewed By: MIKE DEREVLANY ELLEN ZOE GOLDEN NAT HENTOFF JOE KLEE STEVE ROW NORMAN WEINSTEIN

THE BOOMTOWN RATS: Mondo Bongo. [Tony Visconti and The Boom- town Rats, producers; Tim Winter and Chris Porter, engineers; Gordon For- dyce, cutting engineer; recorded at Ibiza Sound Studios, London, England.] Columbia JC 37062.

Performance: More bust than boom Recording: Darling, but cluttered

We learned from the Boomtown Rats' last album, The Fine Art of Sur- facing, that the group was no longer minimalist. That fact accepted, it's easier to swallow the extravagant or- chestration and elaborate production techniques that show up incessantly on Mondo Bongo. The main problem with the new record though, is that while the

88

THE BOOMTOWN RATS: Art for art's sake is the rule of thumb.

Boomtown Rats bring out some interesting new concepts, there is just too much glut.

The album's first cut, "Mood Mam- bo," gives no indication of the dis- appointments to follow. The song is quite original, with an African tight - skinned bongo bouncing all over it. Lead singer Bob Geldof recites a '50s -type beatnik rap, and the unusual muffled production provides an effective dryness.

The rest of side one is quite useless, as art for art's sake seems to be the rule of thumb. Although the building wall of sound on "This Is My Room" makes good use of hissing electronics, restful keyboards, and a conglomeration of echoes and muffled grindings, this song, plus the catchy, but busy "Go Man Go," and the bland "Straight Up," find Geldof sounding very much like Bryan Ferry or early David Bowie. And what use do we have for a ska- tinged "Under Their Thumb...Is Under My Thumb," which of course, is Mick Jag- ger and Keith Richards' "Under My Thumb" with some new lyrics and a different beat?

Side two fares better, though, if only on the strength of a few well - constructed arrangements. The disso- nant drumbeat of this side's opener, "Please Don't Go," is played at a different tempo than the horn and Geldof's speaking /singing.

This whole jungle angle is one the Boomtown Rats work with very well. A reggae number, "Banana Republic," bases its creepy, mysterious jungle - night illusion on the tight -skin drum rolls that come in on the intro and peek




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PL80 is a performing vocalist's microphone that has been called the best new microphone design in years.

The Electro -Voice PL80 not only gives you the exact sound you want, it does a whole lot more. The PL80 tops the competition in just about every performance category. Its style sets it apart from any other mike. Its sensitivity is higher than the current best -selling microphone; and when it comes to gain before feedback, the monitor speakers are likely to give out before the PL80 will.

Even the' feel" of the PL80 is impressive! It has the weight and the "heft" to give you confidence. The new snow - gray finish and contrasting charcoal gray grille screen make a striking impres- sion on stage, but the colors are subtle enough not to detract from your performance. E -V's exclusive Memraflex grille

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in and out of the entire tune. The interesting vocal effect of the chorus comes from the overlapping of one jerking bass voice and the high -pitched backups. Each voice is distinct, yet the pacing is matched quite closely.

Out of the forest and on to physical pain, "Hurt Hurts" utilizes an echo effect on the vocal while milking the drum sound to the hilt. As Geldof sings the line It hurts," the words twang off in the background; when he sings "Hurt hurts," sharp piano chords accent the downbeat of the drum. The result is memorable.

Its clear that the Boomtown Rats can put together some very complex or- chestration, and when its good, it's very, very good. But much of the material on Mondo Bongo is cluttered and imitative ( "The Elephant's Graveyard" is a great Elvis Costello im- personation) and this inconsistency is the main reason dust tends to collect on records such as this one. E.Z.G.

JACKSON BROWNE: Hold Out. [Jackson Browne, Greg Ladanyi, producers; Greg Ladanyi, engineer; recorded at The Sound Factory and Record One, Los Angeles, Ca.] Asylum 5E -511.

Performance: Bright major key effort Recording: Crisp and bright

Love does strange things to people, and it sure has worked a number on Jackson Browne, that quintessential Los Angeles folk- rocker who always could be counted on for a deeply poignant lyric or two, even if he couldn't fashion too many different melodies for his words. This latest studio release, his first in more than two years, has a hard sheen to it that is almost un- characteristic, compared with some of the mellowness that has gone before.The mood has shifted from minor key to major key, and there is a lot less looking down, hands in pocket,

toeing designs in the dirt here. The release, clearly from the heart,

seems aimed for the heart of the pop charts, too, and you can find a half - dozen cuts on the radio playlist these days. The record has drawn its share of criticism, too, for being perhaps the shallowest of all Browne works.

But as a recording, this album is a gem. Browne's positive approach to his material is evident throughout; his voice is in fine form and leads the other




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92

musicians without faltering; the instrumental tracks are rich and highly interesting.

The "typical" Browne song (moody, sensitive, intense) on this album is "Of Missing Persons," his tribute to the late Lowell George, written to George's daughter. David Lindley's lap steel zings out of one channel, while the percussion subtly underpins the foundations of the song in the other channel. Browne and his piano come from the center, and he is joined by Rosemary Butler on the choruses. Not a note is lost anywhere, and the instrumental bridge near the end, built on Lindley's guitar and Browne's piano, is simply fine musical sound.

The same sort of care is evident on the up -tempo cuts -"Boulevard" and "Disco Apocalypse," for example, or the eight- minute finale, "Hold On Hold Out," certainly the album's most curious track. It is a song that Bruce Springsteen might have written from the bottom of a beer mug, and yet it has some incredibly banal lyrics. Its positive attitude could cause the song to be mistaken for a born -again anthem, and it closes with embarras- singly simply spoken lyrics (almost as if to say, "Gosh- gulp -I love you "!). The string synthesizer adds a slightly cor- ny sound to the material, and yet the tracks are very well recorded.

Browne's solos generally are strong and out -front, and the multiple vocals (Rosemary Butler again) are well balanced. Again, the piano (this time by Craig Doerge) and lap steel guitar are featured prominently and help carry the song. And Russ Kunkel shows here, as he does throughout the album, why he is one of the most sought -after session drummers.

The ensemble sound is fresh and alive here, with Kunkel on drums, Bob Glaub on bass, Craig Doerge on synthesizer and electric keyboards, Lindley on guitars, Bill Payne on organ and synthesizer and Rick Marotta adding some drumming -all blend well into a tightly knit sound. Browne's duets with Ms. Butler are at times stunning, although too often they tend to sound bunched together, rather than being separated into channels.

Despite its flaws, Hold Out is quite an interesting document in the career of one of the giants in contemporary music. The grayness or muted colors of his earlier works seem to have given way to musical rainbows here, and even if the colors are expressed in occa-




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ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION: The Boys From Doraville. [Buddy Buie, producer; Rodney Mills, associate producer; Rodney Mills, engineer; Billy Wendt, Gregory M. Quesnel, Rick Maxwell, assistant engineers; recorded at Studio One, Doraville, Georgia.] Polydor PD -1 -6285.

Performance: Same as before Recording: Flattering and well- crafted.

You won't find too much departure from their usual on this album. ARS has a very definite style, a sound that is unmistakably theirs, and they stick to it consistently. Not that this is necessarily a terrible thing, since ARS is a fine group, in fact, probably the best covering their particular musical territory.

Getting the album off to a good start is "Cocaine Charlie," a poignant little tune with ARS' typically dynamite guitar work, clean vocals, and generally

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ment on the new wave phenomenon. Two quasi -love songs, "I Ain't Much" and "Putting My Faith in Love," fill up the rest of the side.

Side two is the laid -back side, with a haunting acoustically- oriented song, "Pedestal," and the western -style "Rough Edges" and its unhurried steel guitar. Along with these is another amusing comment about music, "Strict- ly R &R."

ARS' studio work has always been enhanced by a good producer, Buddy Buie. Their thoroughly dynamic "live" performances indicate that Buie tends to be a mellowing influence on the sound ARS put down on wax. Whether or not this is particularly good for the kind of music ARS makes is debatable. At least their albums are always clean and very listenable and this one is no exception. M.D.

CAROLE KING: Pearls. [Mark Hallman and Carole King, producers; Chet Himes, engineer; James Tuttle, assistant engineer; recorded and mixed at Pecan Street Studios, Austin, TX, January 1980.] Capitol S00- 12073.

Performance: As fresh as ever Recording: Very good

For at least 20 years, there have been songs by Carole King, and this collection consists of some of the earliest and best known of these songs. With lyric- ist- husband Gerry Goffin, King constructed crisp pop melodies that be-




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came staples for the likes of Little Eva, the Chiffons, the Righteous Brothers, Maxine Brown, the Drifters and DeeDee Sharp. One cut here, "Lo- comotion," came around five different times, as did another King -Goffin classic, "Hey Girl."

King and her guitarist, Mark Hall- man, have produced a finely crafted testament to the durability of those King -Goffin songs. These aren't re- productions of earlier arrangements; for the most part, they are fresh, sometimes even surprising.

CAROLE KING: Still fresh.

A case in point is the arrangement here of "Wasn't Born to Follow." On this album, the song begins with a banjo line and easily moves into a slightly country- and -western arrangement. Compare this with the arrangement of the same song on King's first album, while she and Danny Kortchmar were members of a trio known as The City. That begins with the characteristic King piano line and is sung in a more stately, anthem -like version. The song later was recorded by the Byrds in an arrangement closer to the one we hear on the 1980 release.

Another interesting contrast is "Snow Queen" as sung on The City album more than a decade ago and on Pearls. While the instrumental arrangements are very similar, one can de- tect a grittier vocal approach to the song in the current release, while the chorus in the earlier version sounds as if it belongs to the Phil Spector "wall of sound" family.

But the best comparison comes on "Hi De Ho," which became a hit for Blood, Sweat and Tears. Twelve years ago, on The City album, the song began with a gospel piano and chorus, and a




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primitive -sounding violin was used for instrumental embellishment. This time around, the song begins right off with singing, the piano is understated, the chorus is prominent, and a wonderfully rollicking horn section is added. And the horns gradually move from one channel to the other, in parade -like fashion, during their brief break.

The personnel backing up King do a fine job throughout:the album. Hallman plays guitar, Steve Meader is the drummer, Charles Larkey, who later married King, plays bass (just as he did 12 years ago on The City album) and Reese Wynans provides keyboard accom- paniment. Other guitar work comes from Eric Johnson, while Richard Har- dy is featured on some sax and flute solos, Miguel Rivera plays percussion, Christopher Cross has a guest shot on rhythm guitar on three cuts, and Mark Maniscalco plays banjo. The album also makes use of some string players from the Austin Symphony and features background vocals by members of the Walker -Ford Singers of San Antonio.

As a recording, the sound is as bright as the arrangements. Only a few times does the sound tend toward shrillness or too much treble. The balance between lead vocals and instrumental accom- paniment is struck nicely, and the chorus tracks are crisply done, particularly the brief echoed and staggered overdubbing on "Goin' Back," and the a cappella opening to "Chains."

This is King's 12th album, but it is far removed from the usual "greatest hits" packages that one usually finds. "Up on the Roof" and "Go Away Little Girl" aren't included, for example. These are old musical friends that have been taken out of storage, dusted off and injected with new life for a new generation of listeners. S.R.

DEXTER GORDON: Gotham City. [Michael Cuscuna and Jim Fishel, producers; Don Puluse, engineer; Ken Robinson and Bill Messina, assistant engineers; recorded at CBS Recording Studios, New York, N.Y.] Columbia JC 36853.

Performance: Sassy, suave, swinging Recording: Sensitive and balanced




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CLASSIC COUNT BASIE

AM) (AT LAST)

A NEW FULL -SCALE ,I.,I.

By Nat Hentoff

Columbia Records merits hosan- nas for making available again, in its Jazz Odyssey series, long unavail- able sets that are essential to any collection. For instance, Blues by Basie, a continually compelling series of performances by the big band; Count and the rhythm section; and a Basie octet. In addition, there are some of Jimmy Rushing's most haunting vocals ( "How Long Blues," "Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town," and that real collector's item, "Harvard Blues," with lyrics by the most urbane of all writers on jazz, George Frazier).

Throughout -especially, of course, on the quartet sides -the Count's piano is a ceaseless marvel of lucidity and economy, recalling Dizzy Gillespie's remark, "It's taken me all my life to learn what not to play." And a number of these performances, both big band and small com- bo, should instruct younger listeners in the myriad, subtle marvels of Jo Jones' drumming. And that leads to the vivid reminder that no big band has ever swung as floatingly as the Basie ensemble of the late 1930s. This is an album that can never become dated, for the music still soars and penetrates.

The re- engaging makes for clean grooves and does not distort the original sounds which were, by the way, well recorded.

J.J. Johnson was the first trombonist to be fully conversant with bop (or modern jazz), and he has in- fluenced just about every trombonist since. In recent years, he has only been skimpily represented on recordings; but now, in Concepts in Blue (Pablo), J.J. has produced, written,

and performed in the most ex- hilarating album of his career.

To begin with, J.J.'s tone is more open and full than I can ever remember hearing it, and that goes with a new emotional directness. In- deed, he plays with an almost shouting exuberance. Then there is, as J.J. puts it in the notes, the "wonderful ambience" of the date. Each member of this 9 -piece band (which sounds considerably larger) was clearly stimulated by his col- leagues and by J.J.'s charts. The ensemble playing is both exultant and crisply precise, let alone deeply swinging.

In addition to J.J., moreover, the soloists stretch themselves as seldom before on record -most notably Clark Terry on trumpet and fluegelhorn and Ernie Watts on tenor and alto saxophones. In fact, this may well be Terry's most inven- tive work on record in many years. Concepts in Blue was one of those rare dates when everything fitted just right -and more.

The engineering captures the excitement of the extraordinary interplay in all its exuberant fullness. In sum, the sound is more "live" than on most on- location dates.

COUNT BASIE: Blues By Basie. [George Avakian, original producer; Mort Goode, producer for Jazz Odyssey series; Arthur Kendy and Frank Abbey, re- engineers.] Colum- bia Jazz Odyssey PC 36824.

J.J. JOHNSON: Concepts In Blue. [J.J. Johnson, producer; Dennis Sands, engineer.] Pablo 2312 -123.




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Gotham City is a recording that draws upon the talent of two of the greatest jazzmen of our time: Dexter Gordon and Art Blakey. These two are survivors in the best sense of the term. Survivors of the forties bop scene ex- cesses, of the dope scene, of endless club and recording company scams. They have maintained their musical roots in bop while continuing to take in the work of players half their age. In Gordon's case, even a twenty year exile in Europe didn't remove him from the mainstream of our jazz history. He sounds fresher than ever on this date which reunites him with Blakey, his companion in the

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don and Blakey shouldn't cause listeners to slight the other stellar performers on this session. Cedar Walton provides some tasteful and energetic solo work on piano while Percy Heath plays bass with his usual precision and swing. Woody Shaw sits in on one cut and does some shining and aggressive trumpet work and George Benson adds some col- or to two songs. This is nothing less than a dream band doing what they do best.

And there's no mistaking that this is -1981 be damned -a hard bop band.

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Music like this could have been wafting out the doors of New York's Birdland three decades ago. Side one opens with "Hi- Fly," a swinging romp with brilliant solo work by Gordon. His speed and melodic inventiveness are nothing short of breathtaking. Blakey propels the tune along with his forceful cymbal play. On this cut Walton, Heath, and Benson sound slightly inde- cisive, conservative, overwhelmed by the sheer energy created by the "old men" of this group. Side one closes with "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square," a ballad once recorded by Gor- don's old pal, Bud Powell. It is fascinating to compare Powell's treatment of the tune (available on a two record reissue entitled The Genius of Bud Powell on Verve) with Gordon's. Powell runs through the melody with his usual sizzling attack in a little under four minutes. Gordon's version lyrically penetrates each phrase with a pains- taking musical intelligence. He gets inside the melody and mines it, wrings phrases of subtle and shimmering beauty from an unremarkable song and makes the song last twice as long as Powell. A tour de force of romantic ballad making.

Side two opens with a rousing counterpoint to the muted tones that close the first side. "The Blues Walk (Loose Walk)" begins with a thun- derous blast of joy from the trumpet of Shaw and Gordon's tenor sax. Walton and Heath join in the fray at a manic clip while Blakey sounds like Lincoln Center couldn't contain his furious drumming. Everything clicks: this is the most polished cut of the album. "Gotham City," the title cut, con- tinues along the same groove. Shaw sits this one out (how I wish Shaw had contributed to every tune!) and Benson contributes his only inspired guitar solo of the session. Columbia could have released a ten -record set of these guys jamming and I'd still be screaming for more. Consummate playing. I

dare you to listen to Gordon's wicked little quote from "Stranger in Paradise" in the midst of a classic bop solo and not smile in amazement.

Michael Cuscuna's production is extremely clear and well balanced. I appreciate his handling of Blakey's drums. It's an easy matter to let Blakey's sound totally overwhelm the final mix and Cuscuna had the good sense to give Blakey's instrument just enough presence. Gordon's sound is




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handled with the care I've come to expect from previous Gordon/Cuscuna recordings. Richard Avedon's cover photography is strikingly apt: Dexter Gordon, his horn in hand, peering into the soul of his audience. N.W.

ARNETT COBB: Arnett Cobb Is Back. [Gus P. Statiras, producer; engineer not listed; recorded at Downtown Sound Studio, New York, N.Y., June 27, 1978.] Progressive 7037.

Performance: Typical Texas tenor Recording: Not spectacular, but not

bad either

One thing that bothers me about this recording is that a lot of it sounds kind of familiar and sure enough when I looked up the most recent recording of Arnett Cobb that I'd reviewed prior to this one (The Wild Man From Texas, October 1979), I found that "Flyin' Home" was on it and so was "I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You," but that's Arnett Cobb for you. He's dependable. You more or less know what to expect in the way of repertoire and in the style of tenor that jazz critics refer to as Texas style. You used to hear it in players like Herschel Evans and Illinois Jacquet. You still hear it in players like Buddy Tate on a particularly good night and from Arnett Cobb.

Arnett hasn't lacked for exposure since his re- emergence at one of George Wein's Newport Jazz Festivals. He's been heard from on record on several labels besides Progressive and he has been featured at clubs in town and at various concerts. If he sounds better than usual here charge it up to the out- standing rhythm section: pianist Derek Smith, bassist George Mraz and drummer Billy Hart. Also a lot of credit goes to Gus Statiras who runs pretty loose sessions and generally gives the players a chance to be themselves rather than gimmicking up the sessions with a commercial hook. And tunes like Don Redman's "Cherry" are heard infrequently enough to make up for the com- monplace quality of yet another "Flyin'Home" and another "Sweet Georgia Brown." I must admit that "Georgia Brown" is such a favorite tune of mine I don't even mind that it's been done to death by every tenor sax- ophone player from Bud Freeman to Rahsaan Roland Kirk.

In his liner notes Ira Gittler talks about cutting high school to hear Arnett Cobb at the Strand Theatre. My memory goes back to the time that Arnett and Lionel Hampton came over to the Civic Opera House in Chicago to sit in at Jazz At The Philharmonic concert, only to be hauled before the local union board the next day and fined for jamming!!!

Somehow I can't quite get with the title, Arnett Cobb Is Back. If Arnett was away at all, he's certainly been back since 1977 when he laid it out at the Newport In New York festivities.

And why isn't the engineer listed? It's a good serviceable recording job - nobody should be ashamed to own up to it. Nor should Gus Statiras be un- willing to give credit where credit's due. He's always been careful to list engineering credit before. So who did it? Own up you guys! Hank? Fred? Come on. Fess up. J.K.

CLEMENT!: Three Sonatas. Vladimir Horowitz, pianist. [No producer or engineer listed; recorded in October 1954.] RCA ARM 1 -3689.

BEETHOVEN: Concerto No. 5 in E Flat for Piano and Orchestra, "The Emperor." Vladimir Horowitz, pianist. The RCA Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner, cond. [No producer or engineer listed; recorded April 26, 1952, New York, N.Y.] RCA ARM 1 -3690.

Performances: Horowitz master plus Reiner precision equals genius

Recordings: Early LP quality

Enter the latest volumes in what RCA calls the Horowitz Collection. They have been careful not to promise any kind of complete reissue program but they've already put out such mile- stones as Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition, the Prokofiev and Barber Sonatas and three volumes of Chopin as well as the famous Brahms "Concerto No. 2 in B Flat" with Toscanini and the NBC Symphony, so there's some hope.

When one considers the Horowitz career as a recording artist it is stag-



1

gering to realize that he made his first recordings for Victor in March of 1928 (see RCA LM -2993, The Young Horo- witz) and he's still recording for them more than half a century later.

His 1954 recordings of the Clementi Sonatas are important for even more than the reason that it is fine music made by a fine musician. It is shocking to realize how little of Muzio Clementi there is on LP today. Among the major artists recording for major companies only Phillipe Entremont has recorded Clementi's piano music to any extent. This is even more regrettable when one counts the numerous recordings of Beethoven's "Emperor" (including two by Rubinstein; a third by Rubins- tein is out of the catalog at present because it is a mono recording). This is not to suggest that Clementi's piano sonatas are on a par with Beethoven's massive work for piano and orchestra but each, in its own way, place and time is equally deserving of space in your (and my) record collection and relative time (if not equal time) on the turntable.

Yet I am sure that, except for those Horowitz fanatics who must have everything the man ever played, the sales of the Beethoven will far out- number those of the Clementi. The more the pity because there are other sources from which we can sample Beethoven's E Flat Concerto going all the way from the low -fi 1942 recording by Artur Schnabel accompanied by Frederick Stock and the Chicago Sym- phony Orchestra to the ultra -digitalis of the latest offering by Lupu and Mehta and the Israelis. To be sure, Horowitz's recording of the "Emperor" is a valid one, a desirable one and, if your view of the music tends toward the dramatic rather than the romantic, probably the best of all possible choices. What Vladimir Horowitz does well he probably does better than anyone else in the world. Those who prefer a more romantic Beethoven can always hang onto their copies of the Schnabel recordings or opt for one another of the performances by Rubinstein. If you're into the grand orchestral concept of Beethoven's piano concerti this is the one for you. True Toscanini is not there but Dr. Fritz Reiner was, in that day at least, certainly the number two man if you wanted a large scale performance of a work from the classic repertoire. The RCA Orchestra is made up of a lot of freelancers liberally spiced with first

chair men from the NBC Symphony Orchestra and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestras. If this is your Beethoven then buy it, unless you already have a copy that hasn't been scratched to death by the needles of time, because you won't find a better version anywhere. But at least check out the Clementi Sonatas if your local library or classical FM station has a copy. You'll be surprised how much fine music was written by composers other than the three B's. J.K.

LUCIANO PAVAROTTI: Verismo Arias. [Ray Minshull, producer; James Lock and Michael Mailes, engineers; recorded in Walthamstow Town Hall, London, England, June 1979.] London LDR 10020.

Performance: A tenor at the crossroads

Recording: Superbly digital

According to Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, verismo is "a

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term used to classify Italian opera of a sensational, supposedly 'realistic' kind including the works of Mascagni, Leon - covallo, Puccini, Giordano, etc." Accor- ding to London Records, it seems to mean anything that Luciano hasn't already recorded for London Records. Otherwise how could we have arias from Boito's Mefistofole and Meyerbeer's L'africana on a record labeled Verismo Arias. If anything unites these arias, it is less something in common with any certain style of composition than it is a connection with Enrico Caruso. Caruso did not record all of these arias but, with one exception, they were in his repertoire. And such rarities as "Amor ti vieta" from Giordano's Fedora and the two tenor arias from Boito's Mefistofole were among Caruso's earliest recordings. "O Paradiseo" from L'africana may well owe its survival in the repertoire to Caruso's famous recording.

There is nothing wrong with the way Pavarotti sings these arias but his is definitely a voice in transition. His early career was built heavily on his top notes. Now that he is in his forties he has no reason to expect his upper register to be the shimmering glory that it was ten, even five, years ago. The voice is deepening, as did Caruso's voice, and so is the dramatic ability, as was also true of Caruso. Back when he was doing the lyric roles he would never have dreamed of tackling something as heroic as "O Paradiseo" or even the arias from Mefistofole. To- day, he has not only recorded the arias from Boito's version of the Faust legend but London Records has just "leaked" news of a forthcoming complete recording of Mefistofole with Pavarotti in the tenor role. Doing a role in the recording studio is one thing. Doing it on the stage is something else. The tricks that the engineers can perform to help a voice are too well known to need further comment here. The moment of truth will come for Pavarotti when he attempts the role of Radames in Verdi's Aida. I've heard rumors of this happening any time from 1981 to 1985 with the location for the debut rumored to be San Francisco, Berlin or London. That's where they're going to separate the men from the boys. Of course he'll record the role and that will come off marvelously. How marvelously it comes off in the house will deter- mine whether he will join the ranks of the tenor robusto (Caruso, Martinelli, Tucker, etc.) or will be just another

lyric tenor out of his element getting by, as Jussi Bjorling did, with the beauty of the voice but without the power and heft to make the voice really ring.

Digital recordings, unless you know where and when the sales are, generally cost twice the price of analog recordings. For this you do get somewhat increased frequency response and, at least in the case of the example at hand, the quietest surfaces imaginable. London has always made a fetish of their fidelity and this is a superb example of the state of the art.

The orchestra responds well both under the direction of Oliviero De Fabritis (the conductor of London/ Pavarotti's forthcoming Mefistofole) and Riccardo Chailly (the conductor of London /Pavarotti's latest William Tell). Chailly conducts only on the three excerpts from Giordano's Andrea Chenier, giving speculation to the possibility of a complete Chenier on London with Pavarotti and Chailly. That wouldn't be a bad idea as Gior- dano's idealistic poet is a role that Pavarotti seems to wear well. If he is not so splendid as Vasco Di Gamma in "O Paradiseo" one must remember that no one can quite live up to the image that Caruso left us with on that one. All in all, a fine record, and a joy to find a Pavarotti recording with all new cuts on it -no repackaging from previous LPs.

The liner notes are a bit much however. The idea of Pavarotti on Pavarotti is a bit self -indulgent and ego -trippy when it is handled well. I'm afraid that Gerald Fitzgerald is not the most tasteful of editors of whatever in- terview sources were usad for Pavarot- ti's quotes on life, voice, Caruso and superstardom. I seem to remember some of the quotes from a filmed feature that was used to fill up part of an intermission during a 1979 telecast concert that Pavarotti gave with Mehta and the New York Philhar- monic. I think maybe Johnny Carson would have done a more human, if not better, job of portraying the man, who is obviously likeable, and the artist, who now stands at the crossroads between being written off before he's fifty and the possibility of a continuing career.

The next few years will be trying and telling years for Luciano Pavarot- ti. Myself, I hope he makes it. He deserves to in return for all the pleasure he's given us thus far. J.K.

-47 MODERN RECORDING & MUSIC



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FOR SALE: JBL 2205H $122 (8ea), JBL 2202H $112 (8ea), EVITAPCO CP -X Elec- tronic Crossover $215, EV/TAPCO 2200 Equalizer $135, EV/TAPCO C -12 $1700, C -8E $1100. Barney O'Kelly 614 -268 -5643.

A dream come true. Ecoplate original, Ecoplate 11, MicMix X1.210, MicMix XL -305 in stock for immediate delivery. Top dollar for trade -ins. We also buy used semi -pro gear. Used or demo: AKG BX10E, AKG BX20, EMT 140st (tube) MicMix Master Room super C, Tapco 4400, Sound - workshop 242A, Orban 111b. Audio House 4675 S. Yosemite #203, Denver, CO 80237. Ph. 303 -741 -4746.

THE TIME MACHINE. AN EXTRAOR- DINARY TIME DOMAIN PROCESSOR. FREE BROCHURE. BLACET MUSIC, OMRR, GUERNEVILLE, CA., 95446.

FOR SALE: 2 concert speaker systems comprised of JBL drivers and horns 2470, 2345, 2220A, 4560. Also Shure SR101 Mix- er. (313) 235 -9613.

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mics, $65.00 each. Also AB Systems, Renkus- Heinz, Tapco, Whirlwind, PAS, Ashford and more. Case and Cabinet hardware. M.S. ENTERTAINMENT, 1001 E.

2nd Street. Dayton, OH 45402. (513) 461 -1202.

UNUSUAL GUITAR GIFTS - Free Catalog -New Products: EJA1, 311 Green St., Stoneham, MA 02180.

RECORDING WORKSHOPS: Basic (July 13 -17) and Advanced (July 20-31) workshops in Lebanon Valley College's MCI -equipped multitrack studio, Annville, PA 17003. Call 717-867-4411, Ext. 213 or write for information and brochure.

PRO -SOUND EQUIPMENT -STUDIO SUP- PLIES -AMPEX TAPE. Low prices on new and used equipment. Audio Services, P.O. Box 8855, Greensboro, N.C. 27410.

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AUDIO. Authorized dealers for; AB Systems, Audioarts Engineering, Ampex, Attu, Ashly Audio, AKG Pro,

Beyer, Bozack, Braun, Belden, dbx, Deltalabs, Edcor, Eastern Acoustic Works, Electrovoice, HME, Ivie, JBL Pro, Klark Teknik, Mic Mix, Otari, Orban, Omnicratt, Pro Co, PAS, Ramsa, Roland Studio Systems, Revox,

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FOR SALE: Sound Workshop 1280B Con- sole upgraded (Duncan raders- upgraded ic's - laser cut master pots) $5000; Otari 7800 1" eight -track recorder (upgraded transport & record electronics) $6500; AKG BX -10 echo chamber, mint, $1400; dbx 158 noise reduction (simultaneous record -play) $2000; Martin Balk or Larry Carola, 212- 260 -5226.

Expert repairs, maintenance and speaker

reconing for professional equipment. Reasonable rates and fast turn around time. PROFESSIONAL SOUND LABS, INC.

110 N. Franklin Street, Hempstead, New

York 11550. (516) 486 -5813.

WANTED: RECORDING EQUIPMENT OF ALL AGES & VARIETIES. Microphones, outboard gear, consoles, tape decks, etc. Dan Alexander, 245 Hyde St., San Fran- cisco, CA 94102. (415) 441 -8912.

WANTED TO BUY: Tascam, Otari, Ampex, dbx, UREI, Neumann, etc. Audiohouse (303) 741 -4746.

WANTED: CROWN amps and x- overs. Must be reasonable, Steve (313) 544 -3046.

RECORDING ENGINEER CAREER: Get started NOW. Send 25¢ to ATTAINMENT, Box 45333 -MR, Dallas, TX 75245.

HOW TO PROFIT using your own home equipment for part time recording business. FREE information. HSC, P.O. Box 4870MR, Austin, TX 78765.

WANTED: McIntosh, Marantz, Audio Research tube amplifiers and tuners (713) 728 -4343.

2 AMPEX 440 -C 1" 8 -track tape machines, one complete, one missing 4 tracks of electronics, call Milton at (809) 774 -7341.

ELECTRONIC MUSIC by Gil Trythall: LUX - IKON/ECHOSPACE LP $7.95. PANDORA, Box 2281, Westover, WV 26505.

SALE: Four Bedroom Victorian with 8 -track (OTARI) studio. South Jersey, $85,000. (609) 261-0570.

LEARN RECORDING ENGINEERING at Super Session '81, 10 day intensive workshop /seminar, June 19-28. Washington D.C.'s most sophisticated 24 -track automated studio. Internationally acclaimed lecturers and speakers. Begin- ning, Intermediate, Advanced classes. Cheap housing available. Limited enrollment. Call 301 -946 -4686 weekdays. The Omega School of Applied Recording Arts and Sciences, 10518 Connecticut Ave., Kensington, Md. 20795.

(continued on page 108)

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107



Advertiser's Index R.S. # Page #

141 ...Allen & Heath Brenell, Ltd. ..99 131 ...Alpha Audio 105

84 ....AshlyAudio 96 101 ...Audio & Design Recording ...5 102 ...Audio Technica 7

No #... Audioarts Engineering 67 142 ...Auratone 18

No #... Beyer Dynamic 30 147 ... Biamp Systems 24 No #... Bose 87 154 ...Browning & Rice 94

39 .... Carvin 98 104 ...Crown International 29

109 ... Dahlquist 30 88 .... Dallas Music Industries 61 92 ....dbx 91 114 ... DeltaLab Research 53 -56 106 ...DOD Electronics ..........47 103 ... Electro -Harmonix 82 .... Electro -Voice

39 89

74 ....Furman Sound 106

87 ....Gold Line 92

41 ....HSC 46

177 ...Ibanez 12 169 ...Imaginearing Audio 28 150 ...Institute of Audio/

Video Engineering 90

46 .. Latin Percussion 16 No #... LT Sound 90 No #... LT Sound 94 No #... LT Sound 102

79 .... Maxell 27 48 .... Mic Mix 95 136 ...The Mike Shop 90 No #... MXR Innovations Cover 2

128 ...NEI 31

97 ....Omega Recording Studio 103

64 ....Omni Craft 96 100 ...Orban 14 156 ...Otani Cover 3

60 ....PAIA 104 52 ....Paradise Video 68 89 ....Peavey 17 126 ... Polyline 104

80 .... QSC 97

98 . . . . Ramsa/P.A D 11 129 . . . Renkus/Heinz 98 91 ....Revox 13 71 . . . . RolandCorp US 2

124 ...Sam Ash 92 166 ...Sennheiser 46 116 ... Sescom 92 118 ...Shure Brothers 15 94 ....Sound Technology 8, 9 No #... Sound Workshop 6 59 ....Soundbox 100 91 ....StuderRevox 13 83 ....Studiomixer 1

76 .... Sunn Instruments 93

93 ....TAD 101 171 ...Tama 19 67 .... TDK 45 123 ...Teac 69 125 ...Teat 20,21 173 ...Teac 10 170 ...Technical Sound & Video 96 145 ...Tensimount 100

96 ....UREI Cover 4

110 ...Whirlwind 23

108

WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN THE GUITAR from the most respected teachers and performers playing today? Folk, Blues, Jazz, Bluegrass and many other styles are taught on cassette taped lessons. The teachers include John Renbourn, Stefan Grossman, Duck Baker, Dick Fegy and Eric Thompson. For your free catalog please write to Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop, Box 804, Cooper Station, NY 10003.

FOR SALE NEW: UREI 1176, $375; BGW 10, $150; Phase Linear 400 AMP w /mod, $550; JBL 2482, $250; 2420, $160; E -120, $114; E -140, $120; 2402 Bulletts, $89; Shure SM -57, $95; SM -58, $119; SM -59, $115; SM -81, $175. Barney O'Kelly (614) 268-5643.

SATIN PANTS, ETC. FOR MUSICIANS, ETC. SATIN SALES, DEPT 7, 7 SOUTH 5TH STREET, MINNEAPOLIS, MN. 55402 (612) 333 -5045.

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studio manager with hands -on engineering and production experience to take over studio operation and invest in the company. Investment - $10K Cash. Business has had 40% growth in third year and has exceptional potential. Write: W. Mullin, 1722 E. Donald, South Bend, IN. 46613.

FOR SALE: DBX 155 4- CHANNEL NOISE REDUCTION UNIT. NEVER USED, STILL IN BOX WITH WARRANTY- UNUSABLE GIFT. $500. CONTACT MARIUS 512- 690 -8888.

GUITARISTS! CHARLIE BYRD CASSETTE. Learn directly from the legendary jazz fingerstylist. Byrd's greatest arrangements -Hits and standards -on cassette with music /tab, playing tips. For info: Guitarist's Forum, 373 Fifth Ave., Suite 1008R, New York, NY 10016.

SOUNDMEN WANTED: National Listing Service wants to refer your name and talent to bands seeking soundmen. Send $5.00 with name, address, phone and experience to: SOUNDMAN LISTING SER- VICE, 808 Foley St., Kalamazoo, MI 49001.

REAL TIME ANALIZER: Goldline ASA -10 $184.95 or ASA -10B $254.95; Pink noise PN2 $44.95; Numark dual ten band EQ $179.95; Add $3.95 for postage and in- surance. Write: SONICS, 1114 Marcey, Wheaton, Ill. 60187. 312-665-5961.

JBL AND GAUSS SPEAKER WARRANTY CENTER. Fast emergency service. Speaker Reconing and Repair. Compres- sion driver diaphragms for immediate shipment. NEWCOME SOUND, 4684 In- dianola Avenue, Columbus, OH 43214. 614- 268 -5605.

TASCAM 40 -4 with DX -4 and DBX 2ea 160's new with warranty cards. AKG BX10E, CROWN D150A, 2ea Sony C -22 mikes, TEAC ME120 mike, TASCAM model 5A mixer. 303 -741 -4746.

101 RECORDING SECRETS MOST ENGINEERS WON'T TELL, $7.95. TUNETRONICS, P.O. BOX 55, Edgewater, N.J. 07020.

FOR SALE: Ampex A0440 1" 8- track; Quantum 16x8 console; Otari MX5050 2 -track w /road case. 313- 971 -2414.

STEINWAY GRAND, ORIGINAL OWNER. Model S 1940. Irreplaceable quality for $5,000. (516) 883 -8410 eve /weekend.

BROADCASTING CAREER! Free information. Six month Radio /TV Broadcasting course at major studio. Accredited, Veterans. School of Communication Arts. Division Communication Arts, Inc., 2526R 27th Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN 55406.

QUALITY AUDIO COMPONENTS, MULTI- TRACK EQUIPMENT, PROGRAMMABLE CALCULATORS, ACCESSORIES. Com- petitive Pricing! Prompt Delivery! Knowledgeable Staff! Service Facility! Credit Cards Accepted. FREE Catalog. SOUND IDEAS, Dept. MR, P.O. Box 340, Cary, NC 27511. 1- 800 -334 -2483 (NC: 919-467-8462).

YOU BUILD /WE BUILD - Inexpensive, professional quality, Mixers, Consoles, Out- board Equipment. Plans, parts or finished product! MCP /DaviSound, Box 521, New- berry, S.C. 29108.

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Since their introduction in 1977, the distortion without degrading the p. IREZ 8(111 series monitors have steadily The Ne V V I_iRE! transfer characteristics of the Horn. been replacing old- fashioned loudspeakers. L` ' In studios throughout the world, they've become the accepted standard - the critical standard by which all other professional loudspeaker systems are now judged.

Our new Series "A' models (811A, 813A & 815A) now incorpo-

rate the following improvements:

«A' T Shadow Slots have been added to further improve

iirie_e\lianed"M the mid -range magnitr_de regularity and overcome.

Professional Mon itoring the classic ti weffec' characteristic of some coaxial

Loudspeaker Systems With a new diaphram an phasing plug, the high end re sponse on all three models now extends to well beyond 15 kHz.

All models now feature a BNC type connector to accommodate the Con- ductor Compensation '' feature of UREI's model 6500 Power Amplifier. The new series "A' monitors from

UREI are available in three sizes to suit any monitoring requirement. They're accurate, powerful and improved.

From One Pro To Another - trust all your toughest signal processing and monitoring needs to UREI.

'Time -Aligned is a Trademark of E . Long Assoc.. Oakland, CA

The exclusive Time -Aligned"* crossover has been redesigned to allow the maximum power transfer to the transducers - improved sensitivity for more acoustic power per watt. A totally new High Frequency Expo-

nential Horn design (Patent Pending) which includes a diffraction buffer, flare compensators, and shadow slots. The diffraction buffer has been added to the leading edge of the horn resulting in better impedance trans- formation to the atmosphere. This provides a substantially improved transition through the crossover region and dis- persion is enhanced over the entire range of the High Frequency Horn. The Flare Wall Boundary treatment results in a reduction of transient

JIS From One Pro To Another United Recording Electronics Incustries 8460 San Fernando Road, Sun Valley, California 913 (213) 767 -1000 Telex: 65 -1389 UF:EI SNVY Worldwide: Gotham Export Corporation. New York Canada: Gould Marketing, Montreal l-f471E5

a

See your professional audio products dealer for full technical information c'URE1198:



Modern-Recording-1981-05.pdf - World Radio History

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